Let me show you
by Rebeliz777
Summary: Titanic/Faberry: What would you be willing to do for the ones you love the most?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hello lovelies! I hope you're still out there and hopefully not that mad at me :D I don't want to make up excuses of any kind so I'm just going to tell you that I just couldn't have this on my computer without sharing it with you guys.**_

_**Also**__**, you'll get a new chapter every day, that's all. Enjoy ! **_

…

**Let me show you**

**Luck is on your side**

A blue and red bird was singing outside her window like there was no tomorrow, Rachel didn't know what kind of bird it was but she knew that the little fella had energy to last for two life times if not more. It had been a little over an hour in the beautiful and majestic Southampton and the bird was still singing with the same vigor.

It had been the most delightful vacation of her life, the magnificence of a country with such history was entrancing and simply incredible to absorb. They've traveled around seven cities while in Europe and Southampton was their last stop where they would be boarding the ship that will take them home.

With a resigned sigh Rachel thought about London and how it was definitely a place where she could consider coming back.

"Come on now, darling" Finn Hudson, her fiancé and future husband entered the room without bothering with knocking or give her a slight chance to prepare for him "Off we go, your mother is waiting down stairs and we don't want to keep her waiting, do we?" his smile was not genuine, she could tell but she didn't comment on it. She never did.

Rachel stood up, the dress she was wearing already felt uncomfortable around her and the corset was too tight again, she wondered if Tina tied it that way under her mother's orders or if she just forgot what Rachel told her the night before.

Finn offered her his arm which she took with a small smile on her lips. He liked to see her smiling, she could tell that he was proud to have her on his arm; it showed on his posture and the way he walked.

He was handsome, polite, charming, arrogant and rich, wealthy rich. She had met him in college, became friends and even enjoyed his company but then her father died leaving her mother to found out about her new friend and practically ordered her seventeen year old daughter to marry him.

She understood completely why her mother did it but that didn't mean that she was happy with the outcomes, even if she was always smiling.

Her mother Shelby was wearing a ridiculous big red hat on her head but it matched her dress to perfection and Rachel guessed that _that_ was Shelby's gold after all.

"What took you so long, darling?" Shelby's tone was tight; she was obviously upset with Rachel's tardiness but didn't want to show it because that's not how a proper lady behaves. Rachel had heard it so many times in the past.

"Forgive me mother, I believe I'm not ready to leave this beautiful city just yet" her mother's eyes widened in satisfaction with her answer while Finn laughed and leaned to kiss her temple with a softness that he didn't possess.

"Don't worry sweetie, we'll come back as much as you want" he said, delighted that he could offer her whatever her heart desired. She smiled sweetly at him and squeezed his arm in forced appreciation.

"Why can't we just stay?" she asked innocently.

"And miss these first class tickets in the biggest ship on earth? Oh no sweetie, we're boarding the Titanic today."

She smiled politely at him and internally rolled her eyes because she didn't understand what it was about this ship. She couldn't find it in herself to be excited about this trip or going back to New York for that matter.

…

"You can do it Quinn!" a girl shouted from where she stood on top of a chair in the middle of the little bar. The people around her was clapping and making bets on the young man -or who they thought was a man- that was standing in the middle of the circle concentrating with a dart on his right hand.

"Are you sure it's a boy?" a guy asked to someone else in the crowd.

"Of course" the man said but his voice lacked conviction.

The questionable young man had his not too short blond hair combed back, he was thin but his arms showed muscle, his chest wasn't flat but he was wearing man's clothes and he looked manly enough so he had to be a man.

"Come on babe, you can do it!" said the brunette on top of the chair again and the young man smiled a little at that. His hazel eyes danced to the left where two very angry men stood watching him closely with their arms crossed on their chests.

"Just do it!" one of the men said through greeted teeth and the blonde guy smiled even wider at that.

His eyes focused once again on the dartboard and he breathed before he swung his arm back and threw the dart with measured force.

Everyone jumped and clapped their hands and some even hugged the young man as he just smiled and looked in the crowd for his lady friend. It was a perfect shot.

His eyes were shining with happiness as they landed on his friend "We're going home!" the brunette screamed in his ear.

At this submission the clapping seemed to stop and the two men stepped up and handed the young man two tickets rather angrily but it didn't make any difference because they were still happy and the girl was still jumping up and down with joy that didn't seem to end.

"We're going home" the boy said and even if his voice sounded very feminine, no one utter a word about it because his clothes said otherwise.

"No, you're not" said the bartender while he cleaned a glass with a dirty mop, the friends turned their eyes at him and he pointed at a clock behind his back "The Titanic leaves in five minutes!"

"Oh man!"

"Let's go!."

They picked up their bags from the floor and ran out of the bar with big smiles on their faces and happy that they were finally returning home after years of being stuck in Europe.

"I'd like to see their faces if they knew that you're a girl" said the brunette and the blonde –definitely girl- laughed harder than intended as she ran ahead of her friend and between hundreds of people gathered around to see the biggest ship in history sail holding her bag over her shoulder and a smile as big as the Titanic itself.

"Me too!" she screamed over her shoulder and ran faster with her friend right behind her.

…

The sun was at its highest when they arrived at the dock and Rachel was glad that she decided to accept the hat that Tina offered her before they left the hotel.

Finn was already waiting for her when the door of the car sprung open. She took his hand delicately as she walked out of the car and saw for the first time the ship that everyone was talking about presented in front of her eyes.

The structure was immense but it didn't surprise Rachel, it was called the biggest ship for something after all. It looked like it hadn't been touched, the wood, the windows, the fresh paint, the entire ship looked immaculate to the eye but that thought only made her feel guilty. How many people had worked to make it look this way, to please first class passengers like her?.

It made her sick to think about what it meant to be a first class girl and what she represented, what was expected of her. Every step she took felt like a step to her own doom.

This wasn't the life that she wanted, this wasn't the husband that she would have chosen, this wasn't the clothes that she felt comfortable in, it all felt estrange and she wanted a scape. She wanted to hide, to run.

Finn's beloved Renualt Touring car was to their right, their extensive luggage arrived in two different cars and William, Finn's bodyguard was trailing right behind them.

Rachel looked away when his eyes found her. She didn't like him, he was always walking behind them, his eyes were always on her like he expected her to do something bad to run and tell Finn about it.

She thought she heard Finn said that William was a policeman once but she couldn't be sure.

Friends, lovers and families cried their goodbyes around them; others laughed at their good fortune and literally ran inside the ship without waiting another second.

Her fiancé was smiling like a fool, eyes wide in anticipation for her reaction but she kept her face cool when she turned to him "It doesn't look any bigger than the Mauretania." She wasn't impressed and it showed.

Finn laughed, obviously amused "It's over a hundred feet longer than Mauretania Rach, and far more luxurious" he added as if that will do the trick and convince her to enjoy this trip.

Her face remained aloof and he turned to help Shelby to descend the car "Your daughter is much too hard to impress, Shelby" he commented but the older woman didn't add a word because she knew, she knew.

Finn and her mother were talking about something behind her as they walked the boarding bridge that was above thirty feet of the ground just to keep the first class passenger separated from the second class ones, but she couldn't focused on their words as she stepped inside the ship and the click of her heels resounded in her ears like a death sentence, at least that's what it felt like.

This only put everything in move, in seven days she'd be in New York City and three days later she'd become Mrs. Hudson, safe her parents' properties and settle to live a life that she didn't choose. A life that she didn't want.

The gold ring in her finger suddenly felt much heavier than it did a minute ago but she swallowed the bile in her throat and forced herself to not cry or scream, she just wanted to scream.

But not so in the open, that wasn't how a young lady behaved and she knew it well.

"You could show a little more excitement than that, my dear" Finn said, interrupting her own sulking but she knew that he was holding back his growing anger, the smile on his face was nothing but forced. She turned around, smiled as sweetly as she could. He seemed convinced so he kept leading her towards their suit completely oblivious to the overwhelming dread that she felt with every step that she took.

…

"Quinn, where to?" the brunette girl asked and the blonde looked everywhere, her eyes searching. The Titanic towered above the terminal and then she saw it, the bridges hanging above the floor and the ones practically _on_ the floor. She picked up her pace.

"This way Santana, hurry up" she called over her shoulder and ran faster. A few parted to let them through. They were smiling, the happiness too big to hold back. They were finally going home after so long and that was all that they could think of.

Just the idea of being home, the place that saw them as children made everything a bit better.

They jumped above suitcases on the floor, dodged two horses that were dragging something with their backs, avoided crashing against several people and even came unharmed from a dog attack but they were finally getting to the bridges when they started to pull them apart from the ship.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Quinn screamed and jumped onto the bridge, the tickets in her outstretch hand, showing the officer that they belonged on the ship. "We're passengers!" she was out of breath from all the running but she was still smiling from ear to ear like a complete fool.

"Have you been through health inspection?" the officer asked eyeing them suspiciously and both girls nodded furiously.

"Of course" Quinn was the one to talk "We don't have lice, we're Americans. The both of us" the officer didn't look convinced but he let them through anyway and both girls jumped the bridge and entered the ship of dreams with excited smiles on their faces and hearts filled with hope.

Another officer asked for the tickets and wrote down their names after eying them suspiciously. Finally they were left alone to go and find their cabins.

The ships started to move and Quinn had a better idea before they went to their cabins and dragged Santana up some stairs and out to the deck towards the rails.

The view was magnificent, hundreds of people were gathered to see the Titanic sail and Quinn started to wave at the unfamiliar faces making Santana laugh because she knew that the blonde didn't have a family member or friends down there to wave goodbye at.

"I'm gonna miss this!" she yelled through the screams of others and Quinn turned to look at her.

"Me too" she said with soft eyes. They kept waiving and screaming their goodbyes as the ship got away from the quay and into the Atlantic Ocean to begin its journey.

"We are the luckiest bitches in the world!" Quinn exclaimed as they walked down a long hallway crowded by third class people and doors lining both sides with a number on the top of each one.

"Here" Quinn said as she found their cabin and opened the door "Hello, I'm Quinn Fabray" she introduced herself to the two women already inside the room and shook their hands ignoring the confused stares in the women's eyes.

The cubicle was small but with room enough to accommodate four beds but it was obviously designed for people of their class because the pipes could be seen in the sealing and the paint was not as glamorous as it was in the hallways on the upper levels but it wasn't bad and Quinn laughed at Santana when she let herself fall on one bed, feigning exhaustion.

"So where are you kids from?" asked the older of the women that were yet to be introduced.

"America, I'm from the big apple and this one right here is from Jersey. What about you?" Quinn was the one to strike the conversation since Santana was never up for small talk with strangers "Sorry but I didn't catch your names either" the blonde said in a light tone as she stretch her limbs in her bed.

"Oh right, our apologies. This is my niece Brittany and I'm Holly Holyday" said the older one of the ladies offering a welcoming smile.

"You're very handsome" said the girl known as Brittany and Quinn's eyes widened. These women didn't know that she was a girl. Of course they'd assume she was a boy, she was wearing boy's clothes and her hair was combed back and her almost flat chest didn't help much either. It was for the best anyway but it still surprised her a little bit how well she could pass for a boy. Even after all those years.

"Thank you" she said barely above a whisper and Santana sent her a look.

The brunette had to admit that Quinn could pass as a man without trouble if no one dared to take a second look. She had a strong jaw and symmetrical face, her hair was short just a few inches long and that's why they combed it back. She could pass as a boy in need of haircut.

"We're from London but the American dream sounded too promising to let an opportunity like this go by" Holly said and just then Santana looked up from her bed to find the younger blonde smiling fondly at her.

"I'm Santana" she said and after a second she didn't know why she spoke in the first place but the girl was _so beautiful_.

"I say we take a walk on the deck, it's a beautiful day" Quinn jumped from her bed and smiled at the three ladies who in return stood up as well and followed her out of the cabin and into the slightly crowded hallway.

…

Between glasses of champagne and picking the right paintings to hang on the four walls that consisted in her bedroom, Rachel felt like a slave.

She had always belonged to a prominent family but the departure of her father had left many debts under her last name, so she understood that this was what needed to be done. She could safe her family name and give her mother the life that she was used to have.

But she still felt chained, forced, and unhappy.

Finn smirked at her direction, a proud smile on his face as he eyed her like a piece of meat. His trophy wife to be and she felt sick to her stomach and that feeling didn't go away for the entire day and even remained the following morning.

After a stop on the coast of Ireland the trip was finally set its pace. They wouldn't be stopping anymore until they got to New York.

…

The ship glowed with the sunlight at its highest as Quinn dragged Santana towards the wreck, and she could honestly say that it was one of the most beautiful mornings of her life. Everything felt so freeing, so real and she wanted to grasped it all and just remember these days for the rest of her life.

She hadn't been lying when she said that they were the luckiest people in the world. They had won the tickets on a bet and Quinn knew that the most wealthy population on board have paid a serious amount of money for being on the Titanic but there they were, Santana and herself on the finest boat without having paid a single cent for it.

Santana's laugh was contagious while she pretended to force against Quinn's grasp, the blonde knew that her friend will follow her through the gates of hell itself if she asked her to and she loved her for that.

"Check it out" she said as they got to the very end of the ship and Santana looked in awe. There was nothing but ocean ahead of them and it looked magnificent to the eye. It was a sight to behold and she wanted to remember this moment for the rest of her life too.

Quinn leaned over the rail to look at the water under the ship where the prow was looking deadly as it cut through the peaceful ocean.

She felt the change of speed when the air hit her harder on her porcelain skin and her perfectly combed hair went wild around her eyes, blinding her for a split second before she saw dolphins swimming in the water.

She had never seen dolphins before so she was really excited when she saw the little fellas swim as fast as the ship was going, they were a feet or two ahead of the boat, obviously entertained with the Titanic without even know what it was. The image was so joyful and full of life that Quinn was grinning from ear to ear in pure delight.

"Wow" she gasped when the dolphins jumped of the water and then dive back into it "Look!"

"Amazing" Santana was also smiling big but there was a faraway look in her eyes. Quinn searched her friend's eyes before asking an unspoken question to which the brunette just shrugged a bit sadly "I can almost feel it" she closed her eyes, Quinn wanted to hug her "Home, the streets, the familiarity of it all. I've miss it too much" she admitted and Quinn smiled.

"We'll be there soon" she assured and Santana squeezed her hand once.

In that moment, as the wind hit them, the ship moved forward and not a sound could be heard as they stood on the end of the ship they felt like flying. Freedom was almost tangible.

"I feel like I'm on top of the world" Quinn dreamily said and Santana laughed a full laugh but at the end she nodded.

"Quinn of the world" she said, they laughed "Say it. Scream it Q!" she dared. Quinn climbed onto the rails, grabbing a hold of a pole and then opened her arms to feel the breeze.

"I'm the Queen of the world!" she screamed at the top of her lungs and Santana laughed and screamed along with her.

…

The melodic sound of classical music could be heard in the first class restaurant for the finest people to eat in harmony.

Rachel knew that there was a conversation being held in her table, the finest table of them all because the director of White Star Line was there sitting across from her to her left but she couldn't focus, she couldn't enjoy it and all she wanted was a scape.

But that wasn't happening anytime soon so she forced herself to listen, to participate. They laughed at some joke and she took the opportunity to light a cigarette while the waiter arrived to take their orders.

"You know I don't like that, Rachel" Shelby said barely containing her anger or was it shame. It didn't matter anyway because Finn had taken the cigarette away from her lips and stubbed it out before she could even blink.

"She knows" he smiled and then turned to the waiter, ignoring Rachel's reaction. She wondered if he knew that he was out powering her in front of all these people and if he cared "We'll both have the lamb. Rare, with a little mint sauce" he ordered for her and then out of nowhere he smiled at his fiancée in fake worry "You like lamb, don't you darling?."

That answered her unspoken question. He knew what he was doing; he was just trying to make a point, to show her the place he thought she belonged to.

"So, you gonna cut her meat for her too there, Finn?" Terri, another prominent lady at their table asked and then laughed at his poor reaction. She had watched the entire scene and could only feel pity for the young beauty.

"So tell us, who came with the name Titanic? Was it you, Artie?" she was quick to change the subject and to remove the attention away from Rachel and Rachel already liked this woman.

"Yes, actually. I wanted to convey sheer size. And size means stability, luxury and safety" the man wasn't finished but Rachel was seeing red between having been publicly humiliated and then saved by a woman she barely even knew.

"Do you know of Dr. Freud?" her question was rhetorical and her tone a bit harsh but no one interrupted her "His ideas about the male preoccupation with size might be of particular interest to you, Mr. Abrams" the rest of the men on the table chocked on their drinks trying to suppress their laughter while Rachel looked unaffected.

She was tired of always being in the wrong, of being the perfect little girl when she knew that she wasn't. She wanted a break; she wanted to be herself for just once.

"My God, Rachel. What has gotten into…" even though Shelby was the first one to react, she didn't have the chance to finish her sentence when her daughter suddenly stood up.

"Excuse me" is all she said before she walked away.

Rachel could hear her mother apologizing on her behalf but she just wanted to get out of there and that's exactly what she did.

It was hard to walk when all she wanted to do was run but she held her head high, hands clenched on fists at her sides to control her anxiety, straight posture and polite smile as she walked out of the restaurant, and down the long corridor that leaded her to some sort of balcony on the deck.

Her expression was blank and she faintly remembered her father telling her that she could easily win a poker game for him but his eyes were sad as he said that because he knew the kind of pressure Shelby had her under and still did until that day.

How she missed her father.

She rested her hands on the rail and trained her eyes ahead. The ocean was like a dream that she could almost reach but not own. She was right there on the biggest boat in history, _making_ history by being in that first trip but all she wanted was to jump off, be free.

The ring on her finger was heavy and she touched the diamond staring back at her. Fifteen carats on her finger chained her to an arrange marriage with a man that she didn't even love.

The pressure on her chest was almost unbearable. She could feel it pressing against her heart, her lungs. It was almost impossible to breathe, to think, to see beyond the dreadful day that she gets to America to marry Finn Hudson.

She wanted to scream but she didn't, in fact her face remained expressionless as she set her eyes on the water once more. That is until she felt like someone was watching her and she turned around with her eyes low and that's when she saw _him_.

A blonde boy was sitting on a bench on the lowest deck of the ship, three women were surrounding him and he had a black book on his lap, a pencil on his hand and his eyes trained on her. His features were very graceful, almost feminine but strong and Rachel found herself staring right back because she had never seen anyone as beautiful as the boy on the lower floor.

Quinn was caught staring but she didn't look away from the gorgeous woman in the yellow dress. There was something about the lady standing there, her face was blank of emotion but her shoulders were tensed, and Quinn saw sadness flashing in the lady's dark eyes before the lady looked away and raised her chin in the air.

But Quinn couldn't look away.

She knew that she was stepping on dangerous territory but she couldn't help herself, couldn't help be who she really was.

And then the lady looked at her again and this time their eyes stayed lock and they took each other in.

They belonged to two completely different worlds and the fifty feet separating them didn't let them forget that.

When their stares broke Quinn saw a rather tall man grabbing the lady's arm and whispered harshly on her ear before she took off and left him standing there by himself.

She wondered if this man was the reason for the lady to be as sad as she seemed and the need to know that enveloped her immensely for some unknown reason.

Santana, who had been watching the entire thing and knowing Quinn as well as she did, walked closer to her friend.

"Forget it" she softly said. Quinn met her eyes with a playful smile on her face "No, we need to get to New York alive."

Quinn knew that Santana was telling the truth. Her sexual orientation had almost gotten them killed in London in more than occasion after all but she couldn't take the lady out of her mind for the rest of the afternoon and wished they'd cross paths again at some point, if only just to see her lovely face again.

That's all that Quinn wanted. See the lady's beautiful face again.

…

_**Don't forget to drop a review and thanks for reading:) **_


	2. Chapter 2

**2. Tell me a secret**

Rachel couldn't stop thinking about the boy she saw earlier and his green eyes that stared back at her with such intensity, like he was trying to read her or see right into her soul.

She had never felt something remotely close to what she was feeling at that moment. Like she needed to see that boy again, know him, hear his voice, know what was in that black book and what he was thinking when he was looking at her.

There was light conversation being held again at the table she was at but as usual her mind and body were in two very different places nowadays.

Something her mother said caught her attention though. Shelby was talking about the wedding again, trying to make other women jealous of them when in reality, Rachel wanted to be anywhere else than where she was right then.

And it flashed before her eyes. Her entire life and the way it was going to be when she marries Finn and become an even bigger expectation for everyone who knew her.

All the parties, the meaningless talks, the kids she would be expected to have, the same narrow people at the same events for the rest of her life and she felt like she was standing on a great cliff with no one to pull her back, no one to safe her because no one cared enough to noticed.

And suddenly the need to run was greater than before, she needed to scape before it was too late.

"Excuse me" she stood up from the table, her mother barely noticed her leave and Rachel's heart sank a bit lower in her stomach. Not even her own mother cared for her. Shelby only cared for the family name and what other people might or might not say about the wedding.

To anyone who happened to see her walking down the corridor she looked like the perfect put together lady she was expected to be but on the insides she was screaming and for the first time she didn't feel capable to hold it back anymore and the sting of tears was felt and she cried.

She didn't care anymore, she was not going to pretend no more, she was freeing herself that night and there was no going back.

She picked up her pace, fisted her dress in her hands and ran down the deck. Her hair due was slowly falling down because of the running but she didn't care. Tears were streaming down her face at a rapid pace and she was angry, angry because she didn't own her life, she couldn't.

She felt desperate and furious, she didn't want to marry this guy, she didn't want to have his children and she most definitely didn't want her mother's life and so she ran faster and even pushed a couple of her mother's friends on her way but she didn't care anymore.

She didn't even know where she was going just that she needed to scape and the ocean was the only scape she saw fit that night.

…

The sky was clear of clouds and the stars were shinning magnificently above Quinn who was laid back on a bench gazing up while she smoked a cigarette.

The things she could do in New York, the list was endless in her head. The opportunities will rise and she'll be ready to take them all, she'd never felt more ready to take on the world than she did at that moment.

The smoke mixed with the cold air of that freezing night, it was a beautiful sight really. Her trail of thought suddenly went to her work, her painting and the pencils she would use to paint this particular evening, even if that wasn't what she usual painted.

She heard hurried footsteps and the sobbing of a lady as she ran by the bench where she was laid and Quinn sat up just in time to watch the lady crash against the flagpole on the edge of the ship.

The lady's sobs stopped abruptly as she stared at the dark water beneath her as she leaned forward and Quinn stood up and started to walk closer without a second thought but she was still far.

But she was not as fast as the lady and she saw the woman climbed the rails with much difficulty because of her long dress and then she saw the woman turn around on the other side to face the ocean. Her arms starched behind her back to hold her in place.

Something very close to panic rose within Quinn and she walked even closer and faster to the lady hanging of the rail of the ship.

She realized who the woman was when she was only a few feet away and her heart jumped to her throat because the last thing she wanted to see that night was this particular woman dying in front of her and suddenly determination rose again within her.

"Don't do it" Quinn softly said and Rachel's head wiped around at the sound of her voice and it took a second to recognize the boy standing behind her.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" Rachel ordered and the blonde raised her arms showing obedience but her eyes were still focused of the beautiful lady in front of her and her tainted tears cheeks and red eyes.

But she didn't stay away for long and when she took a step closer and Rachel gave her a look, she motioned to her cigarette and how she wanted to throw it.

Rachel was completely appalled by the fact that this stranger found her here and it's the same stranger that's been occupying her mind all day long. She didn't need him there.

"Come on, take my hand and I'll pull you back in" said the blonde.

"No! Stay where you are. I mean it. I'll let go" even her threat sounded weak but it was only because her resolve quickly melted away by the mere presence of this boy. And she couldn't deny the fact that the water looked rather furious from where she was standing and it scared her to no end.

"No you won't" said the boy with the feminine voice and Rachel saw red, not for the first time that day.

"What do you mean I won't? Don't presume to tell me what I will and will not do. You don't know me!" her teeth were chattering together because it was so cold out but she wasn't going to admit that and why was this boy so interested in saving her sorry life? He didn't have the slightest idea of why Rachel wanted to end this. No one did.

"You would have done it already. Now come on, take my hand" the blonde offered her hand one more time while Rachel was processing his words in her head.

"You're distracting me. Go away" she said back but the boy only sighed before he took off his jacket.

"I can't. I'm involved now. If you let go I have to jump in after you." He said like it was the most obvious and reasonable thing to do.

"Don't be absurd. You'll be killed" Rachel retorted but he only shrugged and the brunette thought that he was the most adorable sight she's ever witnessed and her heart fluttered inside of her chest, her stomach twitched in a weird but yet pleasant way.

"I'm a good swimmer. I was in my high school's team a couple of years ago" the blonde told her with a fond smile and then started to unlace his shoes.

"The fall alone will kill you" Rachel thought out loud, a shiver ran down her back and not only because of the cold but because she realized that her words were very much true and she was the one hanging of the rail.

"It would hurt. I'm not saying it wouldn't" the blonde said, his laces undone by his feet "To be honest I'm a lot more concerned about the water being so cold" he said and Rachel's resolve completely broke with that sentence.

"How cold?" she scarily asked.

"Freezing. Maybe a couple degrees over" Quinn took of her left shoe and shrugged her shoulders, hoping that she was getting through to this woman. "Ever been to Wisconsin?" she suddenly asked but was met with a perplexed expression from the rich lady.

"No."

"Well they have some of the coldest winters around. My father took me there once to visit his sister and she lived near Chippewa Falls. We went ice-fishing once, well he and my aunt's husband went but I was around and you know what ice-fishing is. Is when you chop a hole in the…"

"I know what ice-fishing is!" Rachel cut her off and Quinn raised her hands in surrender once again. She bit her bottom lip.

"Sorry. Just… you look like the kind of indoor girl to me" she shrugged and took a deep breath. She had advanced and was resting her elbows on the rail beside the lady and she considered that an accomplishment already "Anyway, I went through some thin ice and I'm telling you, water that cold, like that right down there" her thoughts went back to that day and the way she felt, it always made her throat hurt "It hits you like a thousand knives all over your body. You can't breathe, you can't think. At least not about anything but the pain."

Before she got emotional she took a step back to take off her right shoe.

"But like I said, I don't have a choice here. I guess I'm kinda hoping you'll come back over the rail and get me off the hook here" she smiled softly at the lady and saw how the small faint of a smile appeared on her lips.

They stared at each other. Nothing or no one could bothered them right then as they looked into each other's eyes.

"You're crazy" Rachel said shaking her head and breaking their stare.

"That's what they keep telling me. But with all due respect miss, I'm not the one hanging of the back of a ship here" she moved closer again but Rachel shook her head, silently telling her to stay away.

"How do I know that you won't spread this around?" Quinn stopped her advance and thought, but nothing smart popped in her head "You need to tell me something, something about you that no one else knows. I need you to tell me something." She begged.

"I won't tell anyone."

"Please" she begged again.

I need you to tell me that my life it's not so bad. That's what Quinn thought that the lady was asking when she spoke. Her own resolve broke and she took a deep breath.

Santana was going to kill her but she needed to safe this person. She was involved and she'd be blame if something bad happened.

"I'm not a boy" it was so easy to say it out loud. She hadn't dwelt on the fact that she was hiding but she also felt chained in a way and free in a completely different one.

"Excuse me?" Rachel looked mad, furious even so the blonde went on.

"I'm a girl. A real girl, I'm just dressed as a boy and if this information runs free." She thought for a second. Homosexuality wasn't by any means well seeing and she was ashamed to admit it but she was scared to death by the consequences that her life style could bring her. She had almost gotten killed.

"Why are you dressed as a boy?" curiosity was always Rachel's biggest flaw, according to her mother anyway.

Rachel saw a flick of worry flash through the blonde's eyes and she rested her elbows on the rail again. Without her jacket or shoes she was starting to feel the cold and it wasn't pleasant.

"How about I tell you the rest of that story on this side of the ship?" the blonde said as she looked to her right and into chocolate curious and fearful eyes. She stood up straight and offered her hand for the third time. "Come on. You know you want to hear the rest. Give me your hand" she half joked and after what felt like an eternity Rachel finally nodded her head.

"Alright" she whispered and saw hazel eyes staring back at her with relief and something else that she couldn't quit tell.

Even if the person standing behind her was not a boy, Rachel still found her to be so beautiful and entrancing even.

It was a thought that should have scared her but it didn't.

She freed her right hand and moved it slowly towards the blonde who took it in a strong grip and let out a content smile.

"Phew! I'm Quinn Fabray" she introduced with a smile a little bigger than before. Rachel thought that that's the most interesting name she's ever heard. She smiled back.

"Please to meet you Ms. Fabray" Rachel was shaking, her hands were freezing and she looked a little pale but now she was holding Quinn's hand and that's all it mattered at the moment.

"Rachel Berry" she added after a few seconds of staring into hazel eyes.

"Please to meet you as well, Ms. Berry" Quinn said with a playful tone. Rachel smiled at her and squeezed the hand in her own to show her appreciation. The height was overwhelming and a sense of dread suddenly enveloped her. She couldn't believe what she was about to do.

"Come on" Quinn hinted and the brunette nodded again. She turned around, finally being able to see right at Quinn's face and not over her shoulder. The girl was beautiful beyond belief that Rachel had to shake her head to set her mind straight again.

But her dress was too long, and just when she was about to step onto the upper rail she slipped off the edge of the deck.

She screamed in fear but Quinn was quick to grab a hold of her arm as she was too pulled towards the rail with force and hit her chest.

"Help! Help!" Rachel screamed harder when she seemed to slip farther down. Desperation was quickly taking over the brunette and I could see it.

"Hey, look at me!" she practically yelled making the woman stop moving and stare at her with desperate filled eyes "I've got you. I won't let go" she pulled with all her strength one more time, this time succeeding in gaining a few inches but Rachel slipped again even though she was holding on the rail with her free hand as well.

Rachel screamed again even louder, tears sprung from her eyes making Quinn take a deep breath and pull with all that she had. She was not going to let I fall.

"I got you" Quinn pulled at Rachel's arm and then grabbed a hold of the collar of her red dress, then wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist as she pulled her over the railing.

Rachel had her arms wrapped around Quinn's neck when they fell on the deck together, the blonde was slightly on top of the rich girl.

Rachel was shaking and at this point Quinn knew that it wasn't just because of the cold. The girl was rightfully terrified and she was too.

"What's all this?" a new voice called and both girls looked up to find two officers standing before them.

Quinn saw them take in the scene but before she could say anything one of the officers grabbed her and pulled her away from the shaking lady on the floor.

"Stand back and don't move an inch!" the man ordered her. Of course she would be to blame for this. What was a third _man_ class doing on the first class one on top of a lady?

Rachel was in shock, she was crying and shaking even harder than before as the officers pulled her up to her feet and wrapped her around a blanket while Quinn was being handcuffed.

Not a minute later Finn and three other men got to them. No one needed to explain a thing to them because the scene was doing a pretty good job alone. The lady in distress, scared to death, her dress torn apart and a third class man without his shoes or his jacket was handcuffed to a side.

Yeah, the picture was painting itself against Quinn in a marvelous way.

"My God" Finn exclaimed as he took Rachel in his arms, planted a sloppy kiss to her forehead and enveloped her in a tight embrace. Rachel could tell that he was relieved that she was alright but that knowledge wasn't making her feel the way it was supposed to.

William was watching the young boy up and down, studying him but Quinn was relaxed, she wasn't pleased but what was the point in fighting against something that you can't change and when it came to first class citizens blaming you for something there was not a thing that you could do to prove them wrong so I didn't even try.

Suddenly Finn felt furious that this unworthy piece of crap put his hands on his fiancée and he grabbed the young blonde by the collar of his shirt with anger.

"What made you think that you could put your hands on my fiancée! You filth!" he shook the boy with his hands until a gentle hand touched his shoulder.

"I, stop! It was an accident" Rachel said, her eyes locking with Quinn's momentarily.

"An accident?" Finn asked chuckling, disbelieving.

"It was" Rachel nodded while she realized that everyone was staring at her and that she needed to safe the woman that had saved her life "Stupid really. I was leaning over and I slipped" she looked over Finn's shoulder one more time and saw Quinn listening to her with all her attention and a playful barely there smirk adorning her lips.

"I was leaning way over, to see the-the-ah-propellers! And I slipped and I would have gone overboard but Mr. Fabray here saved me and he almost went over himself" she wasn't a good liar by any means and this situation was living prove of that.

All the men had their eyes fixed on her until Finn chuckled in fake understanding.

"You wanted to see the propellers?" she nodded and he shook his head. Quinn smiled at her from behind his fiancé and she managed to smile softly as well.

"Women and machinery do not mix" they heard another man said but Quinn and Rachel were so entranced with each other that they didn't even notice.

"Is that what really happened?" an older officer asked Quinn. Rachel was on the edge, she was begging her to just go along and after an excruciating second Quinn nodded her head and got her confidence back.

"Yeah, that was pretty much it" she could see the weight of Rachel's shoulders disappear but now this woman knew something of her as well and that scared her too.

"Well, they boy's a hero then. Good for you son, well done!" the officer said and tapped Quinn on the back. Another officer uncuffed her then as small chat was being held by all the men but Quinn and Rachel's eyes were fixed on each other, both women wondering when would they see each other again and if they would.

Finn put his arm on Rachel's waist and soon enough he was pulling her away from Quinn.

"Let's get you in darling. You're freezing" he said as he rubbed her arms with his large hands trying to give her some warm.

She tried to smile at him in this rare sweet moment but even then she couldn't be genuine for him because everything that had him involved meant that her freedom was nonexistent and she couldn't let that go.

"Perhaps a little something for the boy?" one of the men hinted and Finn turned around to face said boy.

In his eyes the blonde boy was nothing but a waste of space. Someone who didn't deserve to be on the same ship as them, he didn't even deserve to be in their presence, he had no education, no class, no manners but this boy had saved Rachel of her own stupidity.

"Of course. William. A twenty should do it" he ordered to his bodyguard who was quick to jump in action, like a dog expecting the orders of his master. Rachel huffed and Finn raised his eyebrows at her.

"Is that the prize for saving the woman you love?" he could tell that she was upset and he couldn't let the opportunity to please her go to waste.

"Rachel is displeased. What to do?" he playfully asked. "I know." He then turned to the boy when an idea popped in his head. He eyed the boy with superiority and disgust.

"Perhaps you could join us for dinner tomorrow, to regale our group with your heroic tale?."

Quinn knew his angle. She wasn't going to be able to walk in to their restaurant because of her class status and he knew that as well but then maybe. He was inviting her after all, wasn't he?.

"Sure" she accepted "Count me in" Finn laughed in mockery.

"Good. Settled then" he turned around to his fiancée and wrapped his arm around her shoulders impending her to look back as he kissed the top of her head and took her inside.

Quinn's eyes followed Rachel's retreating form until someone stepped on her line of sight. She looked up to find William staring at her with a blank expression on his face while he lighted a cigarette.

"Hey, can I have one?" she asked and he offered his pack for her to take as many as she'd like. She grabbed two and William offered her light as she placed another cigar behind her ear.

"You'll want to tie those" the man said pointing at her shoes and she froze in place. "Interesting that the young lady slipped so suddenly and you still had time to take of your jacket and shoes. Huh?" he was gone before she could even blink her eyes, and left her with a sense of dread.

…

_**Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Tell me about you**

The night events left Rachel confused. She couldn't stop thinking about Quinn and the secrets that they had together. She couldn't stop thinking about hazel eyes and soft hands and words that had saved her life that had made her see the light in this dark tunnel that seemed to have no end.

She couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful the girl was and the feelings that had woken within her after their encounter a few hours ago because she had never felt so drowned to another person before.

Her attention was brought back when someone opened her bedroom door and walked in without knocking first.

Finn.

Rachel put the hair brush down on her vanity before her eyes met his through the mirror. For once he looked like any other man, perhaps he was also getting ready for bed because his hair looked slightly wild and his guard was down for a change.

"I know you've been feeling a little off lately" he said as he approached closer and Rachel saw the black velvet he was holding in his large hands. "And I don't pretend to know why nor do I want you to spell all of your secrets to me at once."

He handed her the jewelry box, Rachel didn't have another choice but to take it. Her eyes were still locked with his through the mirror. She gave up and looked down while Finn observed intently as she opened the box and gasped in surprise.

"I intended to save this till the engagement party next week. But tonight felt perfect. I want you to remember what you mean to me Rachel."

His tone was sincere but it held the superiority that she hate. Inside the box was a necklace, a beautiful and huge red diamond that must have cost a fortune and it was being given to her as a reminder of a man's feeling she was being forced to marry.

"My God. Finn. Is it a…"

"Diamond. Yes it is. Fifty six carats" he proudly provided for her, her eyes went wide. It was too much even for Finn to come across.

With a goofy smile he took the necklace from her hands and put it around her throat. His fingers grazed her soft skin for longer than necessary. He looked up to the mirror to appreciate his gift.

"It belonged to Louis the Sixteenth. It's called Le Coeur de la Mer, the…"

"Heart of the Ocean." Rachel ended up saying for him. She'd heard about the lost diamond, she just never thought that it would be hers one day. "Finn. It's overwhelming" she honestly said as she touched the piece of jewelry that now rested on her skin but his eyes were trained on the reflection of the mirror. The two of them, beautiful, young and worthy. Perfect in all sense to his eyes.

"It's for royalty. And we are royalty Rachel."

The look in his eyes was something that she used to look forward to, he used to look at her with devotion, with love, with respect. Now he just looked at her like she is an object that belonged to him, just like the necklace.

He caressed her neck and her shoulders with his raspy fingers and lack of gentleness.

"There is nothing I couldn't give you Rachel. There's nothing I'd deny you if you won't deny me" she knew what he was hinting at and looking at the diamond through the mirror reflection all she saw was an object, an object that sooner rather than later will belong to him and the necklace was only a reminder that she was chained to him and she felt it closing on her throat to the point where it was almost impossible to breathe. "Open your heart to me, Rachel" he said.

The next day Rachel woke up with a mission in mind and after breakfast at the usual table she left to the last place her mother would think of to look for her.

The third class deck.

Every men, woman and children that saw her stopped whatever it was that they were doing to stare at her with curiosity and insecurity. Some with envy and disdain.

She found the social salon without much difficulty. It was much smaller than the first class one but it was definitely louder.

Rachel ignored the stares and the whispering around her while she scanned the place with her eyes until she saw Quinn with a little girl on her lap laughing while drawing something on a black book.

…

"You like that one?" Quinn asked to the beautiful seven year old Sugar and the girl nodded enthusiastically "Let's do another one" she was drawing the little girl surrounded by sunflowers and Sugar was delighted.

"Hey" Santana, who had been informed about the events of last night, tapped Quinn on her shoulder. The blonde looked back before Santana motioned ahead and her eyes met Rachel standing in the middle of the salon.

The rich girl looked a little nervous about being there but that could be understandable seeing as everybody had their eyes fixed on her.

There was not a single word being utter around as all eyes were on the most glamorous lady that had ever stepped food between them.

Rachel smiled softly at Quinn and the blonde shot up from her seat after setting little Sugar on the bench beside her. Quinn was also smiling shyly at the princess in front of her.

"Hello Quinn." Her tone was solemn with a hint of humor because she realized where she was and how this all must look to the others.

"Hello again." Quinn saluted making no motion to move. Rachel came to see her so she could take the lead in whatever situation they might engage.

"Can I speak to you?" Rachel asked her nervous making a comeback when all eyes were still fixed on her. Quinn nodded her response "In private?"

"Uh, yeah. Of course" Quinn got the hint just in time to prevent Rachel to make a fool out of herself "After you" Quinn motioned with her head and allowed Rachel to set the pace before she followed right behind.

When they left, the stunned public laughed and talked about them. They all wondered what those two could have in common to talk about.

As expected, Rachel guided Quinn up to the first class deck before she had the courage to look back and lose her words at seeing such beautiful creature staring back at her with curiosity in those hazel eyes.

"Well Ms. Berry, while I do enjoy walking by your side. I'm also wondering why you went looking for me" Quinn broke the silence they've felt into and Rachel looked beyond apologetic.

"Ms. Fabray, I…"

"Quinn" the blonde inserted with a small smile but Rachel was way too tensed to smile back.

"Quinn, I feel like such an idiot. It took me all morning to get up the nerve to face you." The brunette admitted while a group of well-dressed men passed by them. Their eyes fell on Quinn and her clothes making her feel out of place, not to mention underdress and unworthy of her current company.

"Well, I can see how that worked out for you. You're here" Quinn said. Rachel's eyes were fixed on her face, Quinn wasn't the only one filled with curiosity that day.

"I am" Rachel said remembering what Quinn told her last night. "And I want to thank you for what you did. Not just for… for pulling me back. But for your discretion" Quinn smiled and vowed her head before looking up to lock eyes with the lady.

"You're welcome and thank you back Rachel" Quinn said leaving the brunette a confused mess.

"Why would you…" everything came back to her at once. Quinn had also told her a secret when Rachel asked for one.

Rachel could only imagine what would happen if anyone knew about Quinn's true identity. It was dangerous territory and she already felt special because this was definitely a secret that matched her own.

"I believe you own me a story, Quinn" said the lady and the blonde laughed, a full laugh and it was the most beautiful sound that Rachel had ever heard. She vowed in that moment to do anything and everything that she could to gain a laugh from the blonde in front of her.

"Is that so?" Quinn pondered her options. If Rachel were to tell anyone her secret then she would have by then and then there was the inexplicable need to tell her everything. She didn't want blanks of any kind between her and this woman and she didn't know why exactly.

"You do" Rachel said before starting to walk again. It took a moment but Quinn catch up to her soon enough making her smile in delight that this woman was about to tell her the rest of that story. "From the start" she quipped and Quinn laughed again, already liking the lady more than she should allow herself to.

"I'm from New York. Had no siblings, my mom passed away when I was just a baby so it was just my father and I" Rachel looked sorrowful but didn't interrupt "We were close until he re-married this woman" she stopped talking and looked ahead like trying to forget something.

"Let's just say that the marriage didn't work out for me that well"

"How come? If you don't mind me asking"

"She didn't like me so by extend my father stop liking me and they sent me away when I was fifteen."

Rachel silently wondered how someone could not like this adorable person who was walking by her side but then Quinn's expression changed and she was smiling.

"It was the best thing that could have ever happened to me" she admitted and Rachel chuckled "I mean it. Look, I'm nineteen and I've been in more places than I care to admit. I've seen the world, I've traveled, I've worked, I've done what I love the most. I've been through thick and thin. I've suffer and I've enjoyed. I'm free and he gave me that when he choose his wife over me and I will always be thankful for that."

Freedom. It had been given to Quinn in change of her family but still, Rachel craved it. She wanted what this woman had; she wanted to travel, to see the world, to live her own life.

"How did you do it?" Rachel asked, marveled at how brave the woman in front of her suddenly was.

"My father wanted me to marry this man" Quinn rolled her eyes and shook her head at the mere thought "But I scape while at my own engagement party in Paris."

"Paris?" Rachel had always wanted to be there, she thought they'd be visiting the city while they were in Europe but Finn had other plans. He always had other plans.

"Yeah" Quinn smiled, recognizing the dreamy look on Rachel's face "And here is where my story truly begins. You wanted to know why I'm dressed like this?" she motioned to her clothes and Rachel nodded "They were looking for a girl with long blond and flowing locks" she laughed.

"Oh" it clicked, and once again Rachel was surprised by how brave that must have been. How incredibly strong Quinn was in her eyes now.

She couldn't imagine going through all of those changes or take such difficult decisions while being alone in a country that wasn't hers.

"Yeah, so thank you for keeping my secret as well" Quinn said and Rachel suddenly felt stupid to the point where she blushed and ducked her head. She wanted to hide.

"You must be thinking. Poor little rich girl. What does she know about misery, right?" Quinn shook her head.

"Not at all. What I've been through has nothing to do with my opinion of you. There are more than one ways of misery as far as I'm concerned." Rachel looked up and was met with sincere hazel eyes staring back at her with genuine concern "I was thinking about what could have happened to hurt you so much that you thought that you had no way out."

Rachel was touched. No one had noticed that something was wrong and here was this girl that she had only met twenty hours ago asking to know what was so wrong in her life and acting like she actually cared.

"I don't" suddenly the ring on her finger felt heavier "It wasn't just one thing. It was everything. It was them, it was their whole world. And I was trapped in it, I still am just like an insect in amber" she had never talked about it out loud and this woman had trusted her with what was probably her biggest secret. Rachel wanted to tell her everything.

"I had to get away, just run away from them and then I was the back rail and there was no more ship, even the biggest ship in the entire world wasn't big enough to get away from them." Quinn looked at her sympathetically but didn't interrupt "I didn't even think about, you know? I was there and the next second I was over the rail. I was so furious and I wanted to show them that they don't own me, that I can still make my own decisions. I wanted them to be sorry!"

"Oh yeah. You would have showed them to be sorry. Cause you'll be dead" Quinn said, Rachel wanted to laugh but she felt too embarrassed and self-conscious for it.

"I'm such a fool, am I?" Quinn shrugged pretending to think of her answer before she smiled and shook her head.

"The penguin last night? Is he one of them?" the blonde asked instead.

"Finn? He _is_ them."

"Boyfriend?" Quinn didn't know why or maybe she did but she didn't want to really know the answer to that question.

"Worse, I'm afraid" then Rachel lifted her hand with the engagement right on her finger and Quinn's eyes widen at the sight.

"Wow. Look at that thing!" she couldn't help herself as she reached out to grab Rachel's hand to see the ring a bit closer and instantly felt tingles spread all over her arm at the mere touch of the soft skin of Rachel's hand.

It was a diamond and it wasn't a subtle one "You would have gone straight to the bottom wearing that" that sentence actually got a laugh out of Rachel.

"Do you love him?" the question got Rachel off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you love him?"

"You can't ask me that!" Quinn laughed while Rachel raised her chin in the air.

"It's a simple question. Do you love him or not?" their eyes met. Quinn was practically begging but neither girl knew what exactly she was asking for.

"Don't marry him" Quinn said taking Rachel's lack of response as one.

"It's not that simple" Rachel said thinking about her family debts and her mother's face.

"It is" Quinn softly added.

"Please don't judge me until you've seen my world" Rachel begged.

"Well, I guess I will tonight, huh?" Rachel smiled and shook her head. This woman was anything but stubborn and for some unknown reason she loved that.

"What's this?" she asked as she took Quinn's sketch book from her hands and started looking through.

"Just some sketches" Quinn shrugged before following Rachel who was walking towards some benches pushed against the side.

Rachel eyed the first drawing. A little girl smiling brightly, it was the same girl that had been sitting on Quinn's lap earlier. She turned the page to find a woman sitting on the edge of a bed, her eyes were hypnotizing, like she could see you through the paper and she was also naked.

Rachel blushed while changing the sheet, a man sleeping was the following drawing. Another of a woman smiling, a pair of hands were the next, the same woman from before was on the next page and the next and the next. All the drawings were full of live and simply beautiful.

"These are really good." Rachel said looking behind to look at Quinn before they took a seat on the bench "They are" she repeated when all Quinn did was shrugged and smile back.

She went back to eye the book, completely fascinated by the drawings and Quinn's natural talent to capture the human essence in paper.

She saw the same woman again, naked in three more sketches and she looked up to question Quinn without making much of the bitter feeling of jealousy that appeared on the tip of her stomach.

"Well, well" she teased. The nude drawings were not crude by any means. They were soulful, real and expressive in every way imaginable. Beautiful to the eye and Rachel couldn't help but blush because she was mercilessly eying a naked woman in a sketch book.

"And these were drawn from life?" she asked, trying to suppress laughter.

"Yeah." Quinn answered with all honesty and no shame "That's one of the great things about Paris. Lots of girl are willing to take their clothes off and they used to pay me ten cents for a drawing" the sentence had so much more meaning behind and Rachel knew it.

"You mean you like…" she let it hung there but Quinn shrugged yet again.

"Women? Yeah, I do. What's there not to like about beautiful and delicate women?" Quinn's eyes traveled along Rachel's face. From her full lips to her exposed and very desirable neck to soft and gentle hands that were grasping the notebook with force.

Rachel swallowed loudly so. Quinn's eyes were burning her skin like lasers and she felt hot all over, her stomach was doing some crazy dance and her head was fuzzy. She felt overwhelmed all over.

"You're not like freaked out or anything?" Quinn asked carefully to which Rachel barely shook her head.

She had never felt this way before. No men had ever made her react that way with just a look and here was a woman nonetheless turning her into a big mess of emotions.

"Why would I be?" Rachel supplied and Quinn smiled appreciatively "You liked this woman" she added to which Quinn just deny with her head.

"She had beautiful hands" she laughed.

"I think you must have had a love affair with her or something" Quinn laughed and denied again, she reached out to turn the pages.

"No, not at all. Just with her hands" she was still turning the pages until she got to the one that she wanted to show Rachel. It was a drawing of just a pair of hands and they were beautifully detailed. Rachel could see why Quinn would like them.

"You are really talented Quinn" Rachel said as her eyes couldn't stop staring at the girl that was sitting so close to her. "You do. These drawings are amazing, you see people and that's very rare"

"I see you" Quinn said with a serious expression.

"And?"

"You wouldn't have jumped."

Rachel couldn't be sure but she did feel ashamed especially because she had just met a girl that had had it way worse than she had and probably never even thought about taking her own life to scape her misfortune.

The conversation turned a lot lighter after that as they walked along the deck side by side.

"I want to be free Quinn. See the world, travel, and work, get my hands dirty and get what I deserve. You know?" Rachel talked fast, she was exited. She was sharing dreams and no one was making fun of her for it for once.

"You want to work for what you have. I understand that. You want to accomplish and maybe take off that heavy gown" Quinn teased back while Rachel pretended to be insulted.

"Accomplish, yes. But no bad talk about this beauty" she laughed and Quinn joined her.

"But seriously, I want to get away. Maybe sing for a crowd and get a standing ovation when I'm done" Rachel had that dreamy look on her face again.

"You like to sing?"

"Yes. I love it. Music is what's got me this far, without it I don't know what could have been of my life."

Quinn smiled, already knowing how to erase Rachel's suddenly sad expression.

"There is a place in Venice where they have open mic nights and everyone gets to sing and get a standing ovation once a week" it was instant how Rachel's eye shone with delight.

"Is there?" she excitedly asked.

"Yeah there is. It's called 'Sonetto della notte'"

"Sonnet of the night" Rachel repeated in English, Quinn nodded and smiled.

"Will you take me there, Quinn?" the blonde laughed and decided to play along.

"Course I will. We'll jump in the Titanic in its way back and I'll take you there" Rachel laughed, loudly so. She silently wished that that could be the case, that she could just run away when the ship sails.

"You'll take me?" the brunette asked, only half joking now but Quinn nodded fervently, committed to do so if they had the chance. "And then what?"

"I'll take you to every single city that I've ever been to and I'll show you a trick or two"

"You'd do that?" Quinn catch onto Rachel's soft tone and nodded her head once to show her that she was serious. She wanted to take Rachel everywhere and never let her go, that was the truth.

"I'll be hard though" Quinn added if just to take the tension of the moment away "Some days you won't shower, others you won't eat, you'll sleep under a bridge on the worse ones and work at anything you can. You want to get your hands dirty? That'll be your chance"

"That's what I want" Rachel said without hesitation and Quinn smiled fondly "Why can't I be like you, Quinn? Just head out for the horizon whenever I feel like it" and then suddenly she smiled like a fool, her head filled with ideas that she wanted to make come true.

"Say we'll do it" she challenged.

"I just did but alright, we're going. We'll drink cheap beer and go on the rollercoaster until we throw up and we'll ride horses on the beach but you have to ride like a cowboy, none of that side-saddle stuff." Quinn was obviously teasing but Rachel was always up for a good challenge as well.

"You mean one leg on each side?" Quinn nodded and she owed "Scandalous! Can you show me?"

"Yeah, sure I can!" they laughed some more.

"I think I can do it. It'd be far easier, I'm guessing" Quinn nodded excitedly and like a five year old making Rachel laugh even harder than she was a second ago, very un-lady like.

Rachel's laughter died abruptly when she saw her mother accompanied by the Countess of Rothes and Terri watching them from only a few feet away.

"Mother" she reacted instantly, Quinn laughter also dying as she looked at Rachel's mortified expression. "May I introduce Quinn Fabray?"

"Charmed, I'm sure" Shelby sneered. Quinn noticed how Rachel's mother stared at her with nothing but disguise disgust and superiority, just like the penguin had looked at her the night before.

The Countess and Terri were gracious about meeting him and hear about his heroic act but Shelby was still looking at him like he wasn't worthy of their company.

"It sounds like you're a good man to have around in a sticky spot" Terri said, Quinn smiled in gratitude and humbleness while Rachel laughed obviously nervous about the whole situation.

The bugler resounded on the deck, making Terri roll her eyes and smiled disbelievingly. "Why do they insist on always announcing dinner like a damn cavalry charge?."

Rachel laughed again, Quinn's eyes glued to her and staring adoringly at the way her lips curved upwards.

"Shall we go dress, mother?" Rachel asked Shelby, trying to pull the woman away from Quinn. With one last disgusted look at Quinn, Shelby let her daughter pull her around and away from the blonde. "See you at dinner, Quinn" Rachel called over her shoulder. The countess left with them, leaving Terri behind with Quinn.

"See you" Quinn waved, her eyes fixed on Rachel's retreading form, eyes completely enamored and lost in the girl.

"Hey kid" Terri called and waved her hand in front of the blonde's face to her attention. "Do you have the slightest comprehension of what you're getting yourself into?" the woman asked.

"Not really" Quinn answered without bothering to look at the lady. Her eyes were still glued to Rachel, who was now way ahead of them.

"Well, you're about to. I hope you're ready" she eyed the boy and raised a single eyebrow at him. "What are you wearing?" she asked already knowing the answer.

Quinn looked down at her clothes. She'd spent the entire day with Rachel and the thought had slipped her mind but she was invited, she would to be let in, right?

"I figured" Terri said before sizing the boy up and down "Come with me son." Quinn followed the lady without a second thought and eyes still to her right where Rachel just turned around a corner.

Terri was an observant and she knew what was going on through Quinn's head at the moment. She didn't like Hudson, not one bit and if she had the chance to help this lovely boy to not be humiliated in front of that arrogant man then she was going to take it.

…


	4. Chapter 4

**Make a wish**

Quinn had to admit that the tuxedo looked incredibly good on her and she had Terri to thank for of that. The woman was a hero in her eyes and the reason why now the blonde was walking through the doors of the restaurant.

"Good evening, sir" Quinn nodded towards the butler as she walked inside and took everything in while trying to play it cool even though she was impressed to no end by the place.

Everything screamed classy and she felt overwhelmed as her eyes traveled from the expensive looking carpet to the giant chandeliers hanging from the glass dome. When she got to the stairs she couldn't help to run her hand on the wood of the rail. It was beautiful beyond compare.

A gentleman that walked by her side vowed his head in salute and Quinn did the same, although a bit awkwardly. Everyone was standing with prose, heads held high and straight spine, it didn't even look like they were walking, it looked like they were floating with elegance. The men had a hand behind their backs and consider that she was being seen as a man, she put her hand on her lower back as well and as a man walked by she took notice of how he was offering his arm to the lady beside him and she practiced a couple of times on her own.

More gentlemen nodded at her in greeting and she did the same while smiling politely.

Terri had said that she looked like a new penny and she felt just like one at that moment.

She didn't have to wait long before she saw Finn and Shelby appeared on the stairs, both looking beyond glamorous. She went to greet them but Finn barely nodded his way and moved quickly to greet someone else leaving Quinn with the words on the tip of her tongue.

Disappointed, she looked back only to be mesmerized by the sight on top of the stairs.

Rachel was wearing a red and white dress that left her shoulders and glorious neck exposed to the eye, her long hair fell around her shoulders in curls and she was shining in every way possible.

Even though Quinn was hypnotized, she had to move when Rachel was close to the bottom of the stairs and imitating the men from before she reached out to take the brunette's hand and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss to the back of her hand.

Quinn's tuxedo made her look beautiful to the eye; there was not a single moment where Rachel saw her as a man. She was Quinn and she looked amazing, the perfect gentlewoman but it was hard not to stare at the blonde beauty while her lips touched her skin in the softest kiss she'd ever received.

"I saw that on a film once, and I always wanted to do it." Quinn chuckled, her lips still very close to Rachel's hand and sending tingles all over Rachel's arm when her lips ghosted above her skin.

Rachel laughed in amusement at Quinn's confession though. The blonde was truly adorable.

Quinn offered Rachel her arm who took it proudly so and reached out to grabbed her fiancé's and mother's attention.

"Finn, surely you remember Mr. Fabray." Finn's reaction was comical to say the least. His eyes widen is genuine surprise at seeing Quinn look so fine.

"Fabray! I didn't recognize you" he admitted in awe. "Amazing! You could almost pass for a gentlemen" he added with just a hint of mockery.

"Almost" Quinn said amused yet not insulted quit yet. Shelby just looked at her with the same disgusted expression than before but Quinn just nodded her way before Finn pulled her forward and she was left with Rachel to follow behind.

"You look beautiful tonight, Rachel" Quinn said and had the pleasure to make Rachel blush and duck her head shyly.

It was unbelievable the way a girl like Rachel could blush at hearing such a line that Quinn was sure the girl must have heard a thousand times before.

"You do too, Quinn" Rachel said with a bite to her bottom lip where Quinn's eyes lingered. Kissing the brunette was never so tempting before. Her mouth watered and her breath got caught in her throat, an empty feeling settled on her stomach when she had to hold back even though Rachel's mere presence was like a magnet pulling her close.

They kept walking around the restaurant through countless of prominent men and women that Quinn would have never had the chance to see if it wasn't for Rachel.

"You look like a natural. I don't think anyone will question you" Rachel addressed making Quinn raise her chin a bit higher in the air and pretend to look like an annoyed diva.

"I am a natural, kid. I don't know what you're talking about babe" that made Rachel laughed louder than she was supposed to at this events. She covered her mouth with a hand quickly while Quinn just laughed, her eyes never leaving Rachel's joyful expression.

"I like your laugh" Quinn found herself saying and then she blushed madly when she realized that that had come out of nowhere.

"I like my laugh too" Rachel said playfully as Finn turned around and smiled at Rachel before winking at her direction.

Neither girl said anything but they were reminded that Rachel had a fiancé.

"Look" Rachel called Quinn's attention again and pulled her down a little bit to whisper in her ear. Quinn followed her line of sight noticing a woman "That's the Countess Rothes" said Rachel and then she pointed at an older man who was with a much younger girl "And that's John Jacob Astor, the richest man on the ship. His little wifey there, Madeline, is my age and in a delicate condition." Quinn chuckled when she noticed the bump on the young woman "See how she's trying to hide it. Quite the scandal" Rachel continued to tell Quinn about several notables around the room and their not so rightful lives that they tried to keep undercover.

Mr. Astor and Madeline nodded towards Rachel and she moved closer to greet them, Quinn by her side looking every bit as a gentlemen as the rest of the penguins.

"J.J, Madeline, I'd like you to meet Quinn Fabray" introduced Rachel with a proud smile on her face. Quinn reached out to shake the man's hand rather nervously.

"Good to meet you Quinn. Are you of the Boston Fabrays?" the man asked interested and Quinn shook her head.

"No, sir. The New York, actually" Astor nodded his head trying to recall the Fabrays in New York but he couldn't. They parted ways rather awkwardly after that leaving a giggling Rachel behind and a puzzled Quinn.

"How are you holding up, kid?" Terri came into view and Quinn smiled fondly at the lady.

"With no problem at all, ma'am. You just dress nice and keep your nose up" said an amused Quinn as she raised her chin a bit higher. Terri and Rachel laughed.

"Remember, the only thing they respect is money, so just act like you've got a lot of it and you're in the club" Quinn nodded and offered her free arm to the lady and then escorted both of them to the dining table.

Quinn was a nervous mess but she didn't show it as she took her seat next to Terri and watched Rachel sat beside Finn. Everyone was looking at her with polite smiles on their lips and curious eyes, probably thinking that he was a new rich, a young captain of industry, new money but still part of the club like Terri said before.

Everything was going rather smoothly while Quinn exchanged flirty smiles with Rachel across the table. That is until Shelby decided that it was enough pretending for one night and with an evil smile turned to address Quinn.

"Tell us of the accommodation in third class, Mr. Fabray. I hear they're quite good on this ship" several gasps were heard but Quinn's face was cool even though she couldn't expect any less of the woman. She had never been embarrassed of her class and she wasn't going to start.

"The best I've seen, ma'am. Hardly any rats." Shelby rolled her eyes while the rest of the table laughed at Quinn's answer. Terri was too busy glaring at the older brunette to do anything else.

"Mr. Fabray is joining us from third class. He was of some assistance to my fiancée last night" Finn filled in the rest of the table of exactly why was Quinn there.

Finn smirked at Quinn, a glint of evilness on his eyes but Quinn didn't look intimidated even though he just treated her like the help. She didn't care about his opinion of her or anyone else but Rachel's.

"Caviar, sir?" a waiter asked by Quinn's right and with one look at the green thing Quinn made her decision.

"No caviar for me, thanks." Rachel smiled fondly after seeing Quinn's reaction at seeing the dish but Finn was staring at the blonde with disdain. "Never did like it much." Quinn added and at this Rachel actually laughed. Shelby didn't like the interaction, not one bit.

"Tell us Mr. Fabray, where do you live?" Shelby asked gathering attention to them once more.

Quinn knew the lady's angle but she wasn't going to let the woman get on her nerves so she smiled before she spoke "Well, right now my address is the RMS Titanic. After that, I'm on God's good humor" she said as more food was served and she picked one of the three forks but Rachel picked the right one and showed Quinn from afar. Quinn quickly settled down the one she grabbed first and picked up the one Rachel was telling her to.

"You find that sort of rootless existence appealing, do you?" Shelby asked with just a hint of disgust.

"Well" Quinn was having too much fun pushing the lady's bottoms by just being herself and she was never one to pretend "It's a big world, and I want to see it all before I go. You can't wait around, because you never know what hand you're going to get dealt next."

At this point Quinn had everyone's attention but they didn't intimidated her because she spoke with the truth and her eyes found Rachel's to let her know that.

"I was thrown to the big bad world when I was fifteen and I've been alone since. I usually go from place to place to work. Now a friend of mine comes along with me and we won the tickets for this trip on a bet" Rachel smiled impressed while Shelby rolled her eyes "I have everything I need right here" Quinn continued.

"I have air in my lungs and blank sheets of paper. I love to wake up in the morning not knowing where I'll end up or who I'm going to meet next." She smiled towards Rachel making the girl blush and smile back "Just the other day I was sleeping under a bridge but here I am now, having champagne with the finest people in the world" Quinn said smiling genuinely now and winked at Rachel "Life is a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. I'm going to make each day count."

Rachel raised her glass without looking away from Quinn "To make it count" she proclaimed and everyone else raised their glasses. Quinn laughed with her as everyone repeated the line and took a drink.

"Well said, kid" Terri said smiling at how green Finn and Shelby suddenly were.

Thankfully the talk focused on a different direction from then on and Quinn was finally able to actually eat some food while stealing glances of Rachel and her perfect smile that was only directed towards her.

She was falling in love, she knew it but she couldn't stop herself nor did she wanted it to. Rachel was incredible in every way and Quinn wanted to show her the world. She wanted to give her the world in a silver platter if that meant that she got to spend the rest of her live with her.

Rachel whispered something towards her but she was so immersed in her thoughts that she missed it until all the men stood up and Rachel chuckled at Quinn's lost stare.

"Well, join me for a brandy, gentlemen?" Quinn declined politely saying that she has to go back but Finn didn't waste the opportunity to jab at him.

"It's for the best. We'll be discussing business and politics, that sort of thing wouldn't interest you." That actually got to Quinn and she hated how right he was and how it meant that she was never going to be able to give the Rachel the life that she deserved.

She took a deep breath and turned around to face Rachel. "Must you really go, Quinn?" the blonde loved the pout on Rachel's lower lip already and it melted her insides.

"Time for me to go back with the rest of the slaves" she said and held her amusement when Rachel's pout got impossibly bigger. She leaned to take Rachel's hand to insert a little piece of paper there. Rachel's wide eyes made her want to laugh as she kissed the back of the girl's hand and then turned around to leave.

Rachel eyed everywhere before she unfolded the little piece of paper to read the note _"Make it count. Meet me at the clock."_ A smile curved on her lips immediately. She excused herself to go to bed claiming tiredness and left.

Was this what being in love felt like? Rachel felt strong for the first time ever. She felt like she was capable to just drop everything and everyone for Quinn. She felt strong enough to do anything for Quinn and that made her feel alive.

Quinn was staring at the clock on the top of the stairs with her back to the foyer when Rachel saw her. The brunette knew she had made the right decision when the blonde turned around and smiled sweetly at her.

"Want to go to a real party?" Rachel smiled as Quinn reached out to hold her hand. There was only one answer for that question.

Hand in hand both girls ran down the long corridors and down the stairs to cross the gate that indicated they were now on the third class deck. Rachel didn't seem to mind where they were going as long as she got to keep holding Quinn's hand.

"I hope you don't have a curfew" Quinn said only half-joking to which Rachel laughed. She hoped Finn was too busy with business talks to notice her absence.

"I'm not five" she retorted with a playful eye roll.

"That's what she said" Quinn laughed as she pulled her through the doors to the social saloon.

Quinn watched with a smile on her face as Rachel gaped over the party being held. It was obviously the first time that Rachel got to see a celebration like this, so unprejudiced and carefree. The only aim being to have fun, dance and drink as much as you can.

"Quinn! Quinn!" a woman yelled catching both girls attention. Santana was tipsy from all the beers she'd had and she tripped almost falling to the ground but Quinn's quick reflexes stopped that from happening.

"Watch your step" the blonde laughed at her best friend.

"Oh" Santana stood straight when her eyes fell on Quinn's company "Don't be rude" she said through greeted teeth and hit Quinn's chest with the back of her hand "Introduce us" she ordered.

"Right, yeah" Rachel chuckled but remained quiet "Rachel Berry Corcoran this is my friend Santana Lopez."

Santana did some weird vowed with her head that resulted rather embarrassing but Quinn was surprised when Rachel did the same.

"Nice to meet you, Miss" Santana drunkenly proclaimed.

"Pleasure is all mine, Miss" Rachel smiled feeling Quinn's eyes on her all the time. Santana they wondered away, pleased with herself.

"I apologized for that. She's usually not this friendly… or drunk." Quinn chuckled as she watched her friend.

"No worries. What does a girl have to do for you to get her a drink?" she challenged out of nowhere.

"Said girl would have to dance with me first" Quinn offered a hand but Rachel didn't take it. She suspiciously shook her head and faked rejection.

Quinn smiled lovingly and reached to take two glasses from a table to their right and handed one to Rachel.

"Quinn! Come dance with me. It's my favorite song!" little Sugar excitedly said while she pulled Quinn's hand.

"Go, I'll stay right here" Rachel took a seat beside two drunken men while Quinn left to the dance floor with a happy Sugar on her hip.

The place was crowded with laughter, music, alcohol and smoke but Rachel didn't mind one little bit. She saw the band play the song with vigor and enthusiasm. She had never been in such a celebration and it felt so good to see so much happiness for once.

Quinn looked adorable while dancing with the laughing seven year old. Rachel didn't know the music, she'd never heard it before but everyone was having so much fun that she just wanted to be a part of it all instead of just an observer.

There were still a few groups of women that were eying her with jealousy and whispering in each other's ears but she didn't let that get to her.

"Come on" Quinn said as Sugar walked out of the dance floor. Rachel looked scared for a second as Quinn reached out and pulled her to her feet.

"Wait, Quinn" she called but Quinn wasn't having it.

"You're still my best girl, Sugar" Quinn said to the little girl as the beat of a new song came along and suddenly Rachel was staring into hazel eyes.

Quinn felt Rachel shake in her arms but that didn't stop her from pulling the girl closer to her own body. She took Rachel's hand delicately and put the other one on her lower back and she pulled closer until their bodies were flushing together.

They've never felt so comfortable while in the arms of another person before. They smiled contently and surprised.

"I don't know the steps" Rachel confessed, Quinn laughed.

"Me neither" she laughed some more "We just have to get closer. Like this" she flushed impossibly closer to Rachel, their chests colliding together, their bellies and their hips. "Just follow me. Don't think" the blonde said with an adoringly smile.

Santana, Brittany and Holly watched the couple and there was not a doubt in their minds that they were in love. It radiated from them, from the way they looked at each other, the way the touched and the big smiles on their faces. At one point Rachel even took off her shoes to dance with more freedom.

Rachel's laughter was the indication that Quinn had done right by taking her to that party. The girl had never looked happier or free than in that moment when they danced together, twirled and jumped.

Quinn wanted to see Rachel smile like that every day from then on and she was going to do whatever it takes to make it happen. She was going to have to tell Rachel how she felt.

Rachel was having so much fun that the fact that she didn't belonged there didn't even crossed her mind. She got all the jokes, laughed at the antics of barbarian but playful men and danced until her feet screamed in agony with Quinn.

"I need something to drink" she said if only to step away from the dance floor for a little bit. Quinn nodded and pulled her along to a table where a man passing by spilled his drink of Rachel's dress.

Rachel jumped back and muffled a scream "Get out o'here!" Quinn pushed the man away "Are you ok?" she asked with concern and even used her shirt's sleeve to clean Rachel's dress. "Did he hurt you?"

"No. I'm alright, he just scared me" Rachel smiled adoringly at Quinn at how concerned she looked for her wellbeing and the deadly glares that she kept sending towards the drunken man.

Out of the corner of her eye Quinn saw Brittany and Santana making out on the corner of the room and smiled to herself. She knew something was there from the moment Santana jumped off her bed to introduce herself to the blonde.

Quinn finally got Rachel that drink and watched in owed as the girl drank the whole glass of beer in one big gulp.

"You think a first class girl can't hold a drink?" she playfully said as she put the glass down on the table between two angry looking men.

"So, you think you're big tough men? Let's see you do this" she said. Quinn's impressed eyes never leaving her as she took the bottom of her dress and shoved it in the blonde's hands "Hold this, please. High."

Quinn did as told and Rachel took a deep breath before she assumed a ballet stance. She started to lift her own body on the tip of her toes until her entire weight was being held by her big toes and everyone was looking with their jaws on the floor.

"Oooowwww!" she let herself fall on Quinn's waiting arms and laughed "I haven't done that in years." And she hadn't, the last ballet lesson she had was two weeks before her father passed away.

Everyone clapped their hands and raised their glasses for her but she couldn't look away from the smiling blonde that was holding her in her arms.

_The moon that saw us dancing together _

_it's the same one that sees us _

_tonight without each other _

_I've never loved like this _

_to the point of madness and desperation_

Both girls sang the lyrics to the popular song as they reached the first class deck, hand in hand and without the intention of letting go just yet.

They stared at each other under the silver light, silly smiles on their faces and more than a little tipsy from all those beers.

Rachel smiled wider as she took a deep breath to sing the chorus and Quinn was amazed by how beautiful her voice really was. She was drawn by the brunette and all she wanted to do was lean closer and just kiss her but it wasn't the perfect moment, not when Rachel was a having a bit of trouble with walking at least.

_Love, for your love _

_with a taste of cinnamon _

_I go, for your love _

_I won't gave up, no_

"You are so beautiful, Rachel" Quinn caught herself saying. Rachel shuddered when the blonde reached out and tucked a lose strand of her hair behind her ear. "So especial and you make me so happy." There was so much honesty and those words held so much more, Quinn was putting herself out there for Rachel.

Rachel knew how Quinn felt because she was feeling the same way too. She wanted to kiss the blonde senseless and stay with her forever but they couldn't, she was engaged to be married and whatever it was that they had it would stay on the ship and they'll never see each other again after they sail.

"Isn't it magnificent?" she turned around avoiding Quinn's hopeful stare to look at the sky above them.

"Rachel" the blonde begged.

"So grand and endless" Rachel continued and Quinn knew to keep quiet. It wasn't the right moment. She knew it.

"They're brainless, Quinn. They think themselves as kings and they're everything but." She was rambling while Quinn was fighting to keep the knot on her throat in control.

"You don't belong with them" she reached out. Rachel didn't stop her when she took her hand one more time.

"Look! A shooting star" Rachel laughed pointing at the sky, breaking the moment again but she was so scared. Quinn turned around slowly while holding Rachel's hand a bit tighter.

"Santana says that whenever you see one, it's a soul going to heaven." Quinn's eyes were locked on the sky while Rachel's were locked on her.

"I like that." She nodded when Quinn's eyes met hers and she saw how strong the blonde's feelings really were, maybe as strong as her own "Aren't we supposed to wish on it?"

Their eyes danced on their faces, going back and forth from their lips to their eyes. There was no doubt of what they wanted to do.

"What would you wish for?" Quinn whispered. She was leaning closer and could almost taste Rachel's lips on her own.

"Something I can't have." Rachel whispered back and then she jumped back putting a little over three feet in between them. "I had so much fun, Quinn. Thank you and goodnight" she said in a rush and before Quinn could react Rachel was crossing the doors that took her inside the first class door rooms.

"Rachel, wait!" but it was too late. Rachel couldn't hear her anymore.

….


	5. Chapter 5

**Not fair**

It had been an awful night for Rachel. She couldn't sleep and when she finally managed to she woke up with a headache but she didn't have the time to dwell on that either as Tina walked inside her room to help her dress for the day, she had to attend breakfast with Finn.

There she found herself. Sitting in front of her fiancé while he eat his breakfast using extra force in cutting the eggs on his plate. The beautiful morning didn't erase the palpable tension that could be cut with a knife. Tina stood motionless on the corner of the room.

"I had hoped you would come to me last night." Finn's voice was the calm before the storm, she had a feeling. It was true that she had no intention in going to his suite at all but the thought had completely vanished from her mind last night.

"I was tired" she said with her mind already filled with memories from the night before. A gentle hand holding her own, hot breath on her face, how she rejected a kiss that she wanted with desperation.

"Yes." Finn nodded, brow furrowed "Your exertions below decks were no doubt exhausting." He set his cup down as he looked up to look at her in the eyes.

Anger rose up within Rachel in less than a second when she realized how he knew that "I see you had that undertaker of a manservant follow me." She growled out, trying to keep her cool because no good could result of an argument.

"You will never behave like that again. Do you understand?" it was order. He was giving her an order and they weren't even married yet. She hadn't done anything wrong other than have a little fun in the third class. She knew what he was really saying though. He was forbidden her to see Quinn again and that's what hurt the most.

She couldn't let him treat her that way. She was not an object.

"I'm not some foreman in you mills that you can command!" Finn's face went blank having not expected the talkback "I am you fiancée."

"My fiancée?" he chuckled humorlessly, bitterly "My fiancée!" he swapped the breakfast table to the side, sending the crockery flying to the floor, the food, the coffee. He pushed everything aside until there was nothing separating him from Rachel.

He towered over her, mad and sick with jealousy, his ego needed a bust, he needed to put this woman back on her place.

She felt trapped and insignificant under his raging stare and big arms.

"Yes! You are! And my wife in practice, if not yet by law. So you will honor me, as a wife is required to honor her husband. I will not be made out a fool by you! Is this in any way unclear?" the echo of his voice still resounded against the walls while Rachel shook with fear beneath him.

Rachel nodded her head as fast as she could to not farther enrage him. He smiled at her, a half crocked smile that he probably used to recompense his poppy when he did something good. It sickened her to no end.

He then stood up straight and without a second glance back he left her there, shaking and on the edge of tears.

Tina ran to pick up the mess but her real intention was to check on the Miss who was trying to suppress the sobs that were threating to come out. She had never been so scared of a man in her entire life and to think that her future husband had just done this to her.

"We had-we had a little accident." She fell to her knees on the floor next to Tina.

"It's ok Miss, I get it" Tina took her hands with care.

"I'm so sorry Tina" Rachel finally cried.

"It's ok Miss, it's ok."

She was numb from that point on. She helped Tina with the mess despised the maid's protests. Her hands were still shaking when Tina was helping her with her corset back on her room an hour later.

Rachel was trying to wrap her mind around everything because everything seemed unreal. Her life could certainly not be going that way.

It hurt too much to think that they were trying to separate her from the blonde girl.

"I want tea" Shelby ordered as soon as she walked inside her daughter's room. Tina made a quick reverence before leaving.

Rachel saw her mother's reflection through the vanity mirror. The woman was furious as she pulled at Rachel's corset strings with unnecessary strength.

"You are not to see that boy again, do you understand me Rachel? I forbid it!" Rachel imagined that Finn had gone running to her mother when he found out what happened. Despise everything he was still a man child.

"Oh, stop it, Mother." She didn't want another argument, she didn't but she was not a child. She needed the strength that Quinn gave her last night again, she needed to make her own decisions "You'll give yourself a nosebleed."

Shelby pulled her shoulder and turned her around with force but the treatment didn't scare Rachel as much as before. She was used to be treated that way by her mother.

"This is not a game" Shelby looked desperate, her eyes were imploring for once "Our situation is precarious. You know all the money's gone!" she said through greeted teeth.

"Of course I know it's gone. You remind me every day" Rachel fired back. Shelby looked taken aback for a second. She wasn't used to her daughter talking to her with such disrespect.

"Your father left us nothing but a legacy of bad debts hidden by a good name. And that name is the only card we have to play." She was scared and Rachel could see it "I don't understand you. It is a fine match with Hudson, and it will insure our survival." Her mother insisted, she didn't know what Rachel's angle was. They needed this deal.

"How can you put this on my shoulders?" Rachel was on the edge of tears. She was seventeen and her own mother was selling her like a piece of meat to a disgusting man just because she needed to clean their name.

"Do you want to see me working as a seamstress?" Shelby knew that she needed to put it differently. Sure, in her daughter's heart she still cared for her old poor mother. "Is that what you want? Do you want to see our fine things sold at an auction, our memories scattered to the winds?" she covered her mouth as if she was going to cry and Rachel felt her heart break.

She didn't want any of that. She wanted to help but it was the how that she couldn't accept yet. It was so unfair for her and only her, seeing as everyone else was going to get something that they wanted.

Finn would get her completely and her mother would clean her name, sealed her debts and live the life that she chooses.

"My God, Rachel. How can you be so selfish?"

"Selfish? Mother! It's so unfair" she finally let a few tears fall. She knew what she needed to do but it hurt to think about it and its meaning.

"Of course it's unfair, dear. We're women. Out choices are never easy" Shelby hugged her daughter close to her chest. She saw Rachel's decision reflected in her eyes and she knew she'd won.

…

Quinn woke up that morning with one thing only on her head. Tell Rachel everything.

As soon as she finished breakfast she practically ran to the A deck and entered without much trouble seeing as there were no guards on the doors.

Despise what happened the night before she felt good because she knew that Rachel felt the same way. The girl freaked out just when they were about to kiss and not in that 'I can't be gay' kind of way but more like in 'I'm falling in love' kind of way freak out and Quinn knew that they needed to talk.

She spotted a crowd inside a room but two guards stood outside and she was wearing her usual clothes that morning.

"You're not supposed to be in here" said one of the men guarding the doors. William was standing behind them.

"I was just here last night, don't you remember?" it was the same guy that opened the door for her the night before. "He'll tell you" but William had a line on the tip of his tongue ready.

"Mr. Hudson and Mrs. Berry Corcoran continue to be most appreciative of your assistance. They asked me to give you this in gratitude…" he had a twenty in his hand and offered it to Quinn.

"I don't want money" she cut him off, hurt that they'd think that that's why she was coming back.

"…and also to remind you that you hold a third class ticket and your presence here in no longer appropriate." William ended and that's how Quinn knew that Rachel didn't know about this. Rachel wasn't ashamed of being seen with her, she knew Rachel had feelings for her, that's why she was there.

She slapped William's hand away when he tried to give her the twenty dollars and behind his back she spotted Rachel standing between her mother and Finn while they sang to some church choir but Rachel didn't look her way.

"I understand William but look. I just want to talk to Rachel for a minute and…"

"Gentlemen, please see that Mr. Fabray gets back where he belongs" William cut her off while offering the twenty dollars to both guards "And that he stays there."

"Yes, sir!" they took the money as William smirked and Quinn stared unimpressed.

Each guard took one of her arms and took her outside, down the corridor and straight to the D deck.

"Don't come back" one of them threatened her right before they pushed her to the ground.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Santana yelled after seeing what just happened.

"Leave it" Quinn said from the floor before they decided that she needed a few punches to go with that threat. Brittany helped her to stand up.

"I thought you were going to see Rachel" Santana was confused.

"I was. I still am" Quinn said as she headed down the deck again, this time the D deck of course.

There was no doubt in her mind that Rachel had no idea of what just happened, meaning they were trying to break them apart even before they built something to begin with. She was already seen as threat to little Mr. Hudson and she wasn't going to let Rachel go that easily.

She had to fight, Rachel was worth fighting for.

"What happened?" Santana asked again as she ran behind her.

"They want me to stay away" Quinn said as she eyed the rails on the above deck from beneath. She got to the gate that read 'Second class entry' and looked both ways before she opened it and walked in.

Santana and Brittany right behind her. Both incredibly alert after the guards dropped the blonde on their deck floor.

"Who? Quinn, stop and explain" Quinn stopped and turned around to face her best friend and for once Santana knew that she wasn't going to be able to change Quinn's mind because the look on her friend's face was a determined one.

Quinn was in love, so in love that no matter what Santana or anyone said she wasn't going to stop trying.

"Her fiancé, her mother, the freaking bodyguard. They don't want us to see each other again" she was on the edge of desperation.

"Calm down Quinn. How do you know that Rachel is not with them?"

"She's not. She doesn't know what they're doing. I know this Santana" she pleaded while Santana just stared at her with sad eyes.

"What's the plan?" she asked after a few moments and Quinn smiled appreciatively and looked up to see how she was going to climb up to the A deck.

"Help me climb this and I'll do the rest."

Rachel had mentioned a walk around the boat deck and that's where Quinn needed to go. Santana and Brittany managed to boost her up the rails.

"He's not being logical" Brittany commented as Quinn walked away in the upper deck.

"Love is not logical" Santana said with her eyes trained on the blonde English girl she'd fallen for in the last three days. Brittany smiled softly before taking her hand and dragging her back towards their deck.

In the first class deck Quinn spotted a man playing with his son that had left his jacket hanging on the side of the rail. She needed to hide and looked somehow presentable to not being thrown out again so without a doubt she grabbed the jacket and the hat without the man noticing and walked off to find Rachel.

…

Shelby looked pleased while Finn went back to being his confident jerk self and Rachel was left to deal with her broken heart on her own.

She had thought that Quinn would try to see her that day but the blonde was nowhere to be found and she didn't want to think badly of her mother but she knew Finn was a different story.

She was sad, confused, and angry. She was shrinking in front of them once again and she hated it.

Mr. Chang was explaining how the boats had been built, the trouble it had been to put them there when Rachel remembered something that had caught her attention the day before.

"Mr. Chang, I did the sum in my head, and with the number of lifeboats times the capacity you mentioned. Forgive me sir but it seems that there are not enough for everyone aboard." Chang looked ashamed for a split second before he smiled politely at the rest of the people accompanying them.

"About half, actually" he admitted "You miss nothing, do you Rachel?" he laughed. He was a decent man and she respected him "In fact, I put these type davits, which can take an extra row of boats here" he showed her where but there were no extra boats "But it was thought by some that the deck would look too cluttered. So I was over-ruled." He hated the idea as much as she did at that second.

The nerve of this people!. Looks were more important than safety that was what Mr. Chang was saying. It sounded ridiculous to her ears.

"Waste of deck space as it is, on an unsinkable ship!" she could always count on Finn to over-rule her thoughts. She shared a look with Mr. Chang, he smiled sweetly at her.

"Sleep soundly, Rachel. I have built you a good ship, strong and true. She's all the lifeboat you really need." Her mother and Finn started a new conversation with Mr. Chang about the looks of the Titanic and Rachel stayed back. Her mind filled with concern because something could always go wrong.

Suddenly someone touched her arm and grabbed her wrist to turn her around. She almost screamed but then she recognized the person behind the hat. Her first reaction was to smile but she forced herself not to do that.

"Come" Quinn whispered as she pulled her to an empty saloon and closed the door behind them but Rachel didn't take another step further inside as she leaned against the door.

"Quinn, this is impossible. I can't see you" Rachel said but Quinn was having none of it. She put her hands gently on Rachel's shoulders and made her look into her eyes.

"Stop it Rachel and listen to me" the brunette closed her mouth while she tried to keep her eyes empty of any emotions. She wouldn't be able to stay away from Quinn if her feelings took the best out of her.

"You're no picnic and I'm aware of that" that got her attention alright "You're a wonderful girl, you're strong, pure heart and you're the most astounding lady I've even known and I …"

"Quinn, don't" Rachel begged "Please."

"No, listen. You are amazing and I know that I…" Quinn looked down at the floor. She was beyond scared of losing Rachel but she also needed to be honest with the girl "…I know that I have nothing to offer you, Rachel. I know that, I'm not stupid enough to believe that I can give you everything that you have now but I can promise you that I will try until my last breath to give you what you deserve. I'm involved now. You jump, I jump, remember?"

Rachel felt the sting of tears behind her eyelids but she couldn't cry. Everything that Quinn was saying was making it so difficult all of the sudden. She knew what she wanted to do, her heart and mind were clear and the object of her affections was standing right in front of her saying all the perfect things that she wanted to hear.

"I know it's scary, Rachel. I know we'll have to hide in front of public and I know that nobody wants that but I promise you to make it worth. I'll try every day from here to my dying day to show you what true happiness is all about." Quinn pleaded as she lowered her hands to hold Rachel's.

"You're making this very hard" Rachel said as she looked up and Quinn rubbed the back of her hand with her thumbs.

Quinn knew in that moment that Rachel had made up her mind that morning and she was just letting the blonde know. There was nothing she could do to make her see things differently.

Her mouth was suddenly dry, her throat was hurting and her chest felt like it was closing and squeezing her broken heart to the point of physical pain.

"I need to know that you're going to be alright." Quinn whispered the last sentence. She could feel the tears that were about to fall down.

"I'll be fine, really" Rachel's voice was hoarse and pained. She had to clear her throat a couple of times just to keep herself from crying.

"You don't even love him" Rachel knew that the girl was telling the truth but she couldn't help herself from arguing back.

"I'm marrying him" she cleared her throat again "Of course I love him"

"No, you don't."

Quinn wasn't letting go of her hands, not that Rachel wanted her to but she needed some space before she fell back again.

Quinn knew that Rachel was lying; she could see it in her eyes. All the pain and trouble she was going through by just standing there and deny her.

So she leaned in slowly without breaking eye contact, her thumbs still drawing small circles on the back of Rachel's hands. Her eyes traveled down for only a second to see the lips of the girl that owned her heart.

"Tell me that you want me to stop" she whispered and her hot breath tingled Rachel's lips but she didn't say a word as Quinn pressed her lips softly against her own.

Everything fell into place and in that moment and Quinn knew that she wasn't going to be able to forget, to let go and she wanted to cry because it felt so perfect to be that close to Rachel.

"Stop" Rachel managed to move her face to the right, Quinn's lips pressed against her cheek now. Their bodies were flushed together and she wanted to stay that way but she couldn't afford to.

"You deserve to be happy too, Rachel" Quinn ran her hand on Rachel's hair as she pressed a soft kiss to the girl's ear.

"It's not up to you to save me, Quinn." Rachel pushed her back, putting space between them. Space that they didn't want, that didn't need.

"You're right. Only you can do that." They locked eyes and Rachel saw hazel eyes begging her to stay. To choose the girl that was standing in front of her.

"I have to get back, they'll miss me. Please, Quinn, for both our sakes, leave me alone and forget this ever happened."

Rachel managed to make a quick exit but not before Quinn saw the tears running down her cheeks.

The click of Rachel's heels down the corridor finally told Quinn that the girl was really gone and she let her tears to finally fall as she pressed her back against the closed door and slid down to the floor, where she hid her face between her knees and cried.

…


	6. Chapter 6

**Paint me a picture? **

After hours of sitting in that room crying Quinn finally managed to stand up, breathe and walk out.

It was dark by the time her feet took her to the place where she felt like she could conquer the world just a few days ago, the apex of the bow railing. The place where she felt like flying now only made her feel hallow and empty in so many ways.

She didn't want to go back to the D deck, she didn't want to face Santana and tell her that it was over before it even begun. That she was right and Rachel already made a choice before Quinn went looking for her.

She had never felt so defeated before. She had lost and it felt like she wasn't even given the chance to properly try.

It was so cold but she couldn't care less. She just wanted to have Rachel in any way possible. She hadn't been lying when she said she'd try until her last breath to make the girl happy. That's all she wanted, a chance to make Rachel happy.

The worst part is that she knew, she was certain that Rachel felt the same way and was too scared to leave everything that she knew behind and try with Quinn.

Wasn't Quinn worth trying for too?

"Hello, Quinn."

Was it possible?

Her entire body froze when she heard the voice and turned around without a second thought. There was Rachel standing a few feet behind with her puffy eyes and tear tainted cheeks.

"Forgive me" her voice was raw with emotion but Quinn couldn't speak because she was too entranced by the brunette. She couldn't believe that she was actually there with her perfect eyes staring at her. Her regret was palpable even if Quinn knew that she might felt like she didn't have a choice. "I've been looking for you" her hair was down, the wind was making it fly around her pretty face with its force but she still looked beautiful beyond belief.

"Come here" Quinn reached out her hand, Rachel stepped forward immediately and the blonde enveloped her in the tightest hug she'd ever received and she hugged back just as tight.

Quinn pressed her lips on top of Rachel's head, sending a silent prayer to whatever God that was listening for making Rachel come back to her.

"I'm so sorry, Quinn" Rachel said on the verge of tears again but Quinn leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"Close your eyes." Rachel was confused for a second but Quinn's eyes were telling her to trust her so she closed her eyes.

Quinn smiled to herself when she didn't catch any hesitation on Rachel. She settled behind Rachel's body, her hands pressed gently on the girl's stomach as she walked her closer to the rail and pressed her there.

The air hit Rachel in the face with force, her dried tears made her cold but the feeling of freedom was quickly engulfing her and erasing everything else.

"I'm so glad you came" Quinn whispered in her ear before she stretched Rachel's arms on each side of her body and placed her hands back on her stomach.

"Open your eyes."

Rachel slowly opened her eyes, trusting Quinn with all her heart and gasped at the sight in front of her.

There was nothing but the ocean ahead. There was just the sound of the wind, and the soft soaring of the water underneath.

"I'm flying" she almost cried out of so much joy. Her heart was hammering inside her chest wildly at having Quinn so close to her.

_Love, for your love _

_with a taste of cinnamon _

_I go, for your love _

_I won't give up, no_

Quinn slowly sang for her and Rachel closed her eyes as she imagined how their lives could be. She smiled realizing that she wanted it all with Quinn.

_There is not enough ink or paper _

_to put in words how much I love you _

_there isn't a song _

_sadder or darker than a goodbye_

Quinn kept singing as Rachel pressed against her front with a bit more pressure. Slowly she raised her hands to her arms to caress her and slide until their fingers were grazing slightly against each other, ducking away, playing until Rachel interlocked their fingers in a tight hold.

Quinn kissed her ear and buried her face in brown locks. She could do this for the rest of her life and be a happy woman until her last day.

Rachel moved her face to the side just as Quinn kissed her cheek. She brought their joined hands to rest on her stomach again and freed one to reach out and cup Quinn's face.

She cupped a pale cheek on her hand as Quinn leaned forward and united their lips for the second time that day. Quinn's arms wrapped tighter on her middle as their mouths molded together in a slow kiss.

"God" Quinn gasped out of breath against Rachel's cheek. "I thought I had lost you" the words were spoken so softly but Rachel heard them and it hurt her to think of the pain she put the blonde through. If it was anything how Rachel felt the entire day, then she regretted it with her entire heart.

"Never" Rachel said and turned around to kiss Quinn more properly. She felt like she was the one that needed to assure Quinn from now on. She was the one that needed to make up for her mistake.

Both girls knew what they were getting themselves into but it didn't scare them like it should have.

"Would you draw me, Quinn?" the request came out of nowhere. Quinn smiled and raised a single eyebrow at Rachel.

"Sure, yes. Yes, of course I would" she nodded, reminding herself that she'd do anything to keep the woman in her arms happy.

"You are so talented and I want to have something to remember this day and a drawing will be perfect" Quinn kissed her cheek again and agreed softly to Rachel's demand.

From the corner of her eye Quinn saw a group of people walking towards them, and although she didn't know how serious Rachel was, she didn't want to know just yet anyway. The thought scared her to no end.

"Let's go somewhere else" she told the brunette.

"Shall we pick up your pencils and books?" asked the shorter girl but Quinn hesitated. Her friends would be in her bedroom and she didn't know if Rachel wanted to be seen or not.

"Are you sure you want a tour in the third class bedrooms?" she asked with humor as she pulled Rachel closer making her giggle.

"Well, I'm kissing a third class girl so I'd better be getting a tour" she teased back and kissed Quinn for good measure.

"Come on then" Quinn laughed and held her hand as she took her down to the D deck. They smiled politely at all the people that eyed them strangely and stared at their joined hands with judgmental eyes.

Quinn hesitated again when they reached the door to her cabin but Rachel gave her an encouraging nod.

"Santana can be a bit… just… she's a good friend, ok? Just remember that she's my best friend" Rachel nodded at Quinn's smiling eyes but internally wondered how Santana was in reality.

"Where the hell have you been all day?" Santana barked as soon as Quinn walked through the small door, her eyes widen when she saw the girl trailing behind Quinn.

"You remember Rachel, right San?" Quinn's eyes were pleading. Santana scuffed and crossed her arms across her chest. She wasn't that bad.

"Yeah, I do" she said dismissingly as she stood up and sized Rachel up and down "What is she doing here and where have you been?" she turned to Quinn again as the blonde picked up her materials and sketchbook. Brittany and Holly were nowhere to be seen.

"Don't be rude, San" Quinn pointed a finger at her direction but the brunette slapped her hand away from her face "I invited her here and I was with her all day" Santana eyed her suspiciously.

They weren't best friends for nothing; Santana knew that Quinn had been crying and she had a pretty good idea of why.

"I guess you didn't tell her that you found me in the saloon earlier" Santana said facing Rachel. Quinn's eyes snapped up quickly and Rachel looked beyond apologetic.

"I was looking for you" she explained. Quinn knew that it was helpless to try to hide the truth from Santana now but for the night, it was going to have to wait. She had only been trying to keep their matters private.

"It's ok" she said with a small smile. Santana glanced at the things in Quinn's hands and stepped away to sit on a bed.

"I'll just wait outside" Rachel excused herself and quickly left the room.

Quinn and Santana's relationship went a little bit farther than the best friend thing. They've been together for the last three years of their lives. They were all the family they had and they only trusted each other.

So it was understandable to see Santana reacting this way when Quinn was pretty sure that her friend had everything figured it out in her head at that point.

"I love her" she simply said without looking at her friend and knowing well that Rachel was probably just outside the door listening.

"I know" Santana stood up and cupped Quinn's face with her hands. "Be careful, ok?"

Quinn nodded and Santana kissed her cheek before they hugged. They were never good with words, at least not with each other and that was all the honesty that they both needed right then because they got each other.

Quinn walked out of the room to find Rachel leaning against the wall opposite to hers and she smiled adoringly at the brunette.

"Where to, miss?" she asked with a thick English accent making the girl laugh as they moved closer.

"I know just the place." Rachel kissed her lips before she grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the A deck and didn't stop until they reached the bedroom doors.

Quinn eyed her questionably but Rachel just smiled and opened the door to the most amazing bedroom that Quinn had ever seen.

The blonde was speechless when she first walked in. The suite was bigger than the old apartment she shared with Santana. The fabric, the furniture, the floor and the chandeliers were absolutely beautiful.

"Will this light do?" Rachel asked eyeing the only chandelier in the middle of the small living room "Don't artists need good light?"

"The light is perfect" Quinn said turning around to face Rachel. She set her materials on a chair to wrap her arms around Rachel's waist and pull her closer to her "You're perfect." Rachel melted on the insides after hearing those words. How could she not? When they most beautiful girl that she's ever seen was whispering them for her and only her.

With her arms wrapped around the blonde's neck, Rachel pulled her down to kiss her before Quinn noted the deep blush on her cheeks.

Quinn kissed her deeply before pulling back with Rachel's lower lip between her teeth and loving the moan that erupted from the brunette's throat before she kissed her again and played extra attention to the offended lip.

"Hey!" Quinn pulled back suddenly and walked towards a painting on the wall "Monet!" she said in owe. "He is an amazing artist. The way he uses color?" she showed Rachel.

The brunette walked closer to the taller girl and wrapped her arms around her waist from behind, resting her chin on Quinn's shoulder blade pondering on whether or not she should be angry that the blonde had open her eyes while in the middle of kissing her.

"I saw him once, through a hole in this garden fence in Giverny" Quinn laughed at the fond memory as Rachel kissed her ear provocatively. An inspired Quinn was definitely a turn on and no, she could never be mad at the adorable blonde.

"You met him?" Rachel asked as she pulled back and walked into another room to the right.

"Not even close. Santana and I were chased by two policemen after we saw him" Rachel laughed and shook her head imagining Quinn running away from cops.

Quinn was still observing the painting as Rachel worked the combination to the safe and pulled out a black box.

"Finn insists on taking this thing everywhere he goes." Rachel commented as she closed the safe.

"Should we expect him anytime soon?" Quinn asked with a tight tone. She was not sure how she felt about their situation just yet.

"Not as long as the cigars and brandy hold out." Before Quinn could say another word Rachel opened the box and the blonde's eyes widen in surprise.

Rachel took the necklace in her hand and pulled it out to show it to Quinn.

"Is it a sapphire?" she nervously asked.

"A diamond. A very rare diamond, called the Heart of the Ocean." Quinn nodded dumbly, her eyes still locked on the beautiful piece of jewelry.

Rachel watched in silence as Quinn's eyes traveled over every inch of the necklace. Her hazel eyes filled with curiosity, it was obvious that Quinn had never seen anything like it.

"I want you to draw me like one of your Frech girls, Quinn" hazel eyes met hers with a shy smile "Wearing this"

"Ok"

"Wearing only this." Quinn's inspection of the necklace abruptly stopped as she locked eyes with a very determined Rachel. She couldn't do anything but give a nod in response and watch as Rachel entered her bedroom leaving her with indications to set everything up.

Still in shock, Quinn managed to move the large couch under the light, set a lamp behind the chair where she'd be seated and sharpen her pencils.

"The last thing I need is another picture of me looking like a china doll" Rachel's voice made the blonde look up from her open sketchbook and she saw the brunette walking inside the room wearing a silk red kimono.

"As a paying customer, I expect to get what I want." Quinn gulped as Rachel walked closer and handed her a dime before walking backwards and parting the kimono with her hands.

Her eyes never left Quinn's as she revealed her chest and the diamond resting between her perky breasts. Somehow she was as calm as can be. Quinn was nervous enough for the two of them if her shaking hands were any indication.

Rachel always enjoyed the drama that one could create with barely any movement. She smirked as her hands pushed the silk farther down her shoulders. Quinn's eyes were following the movement with devoted attention.

In a swift movement the kimono slipped of Rachel's body leaving her completely naked in front of a dumbfounded Quinn.

"In.. uh… the… in the couch" Quinn stuttered out, much to Rachel's amusement.

"Tell me when it looks right to you" Rachel laid on the large couch and posed with a mischievous smirk on her lips.

"Uh… just bend your left leg a little and… and lower your head" Quinn said looking like she was gaining her control back. Rachel followed directions and the blonde nodded "Eyes to me. That's it"

Quinn took a deep breath and locked eyes with Rachel, she gave her a tiny nod of her head and then Rachel watched as Quinn's hand danced on the sketched book with an ease that could be only be perfected by years of practice.

With very concentrated green eyes traveling on her body the way there way Rachel started to feel differently. Long gone was the confidence she had a few minutes ago when she took off the kimono. Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest as Quinn's eyes focused on her breasts.

"Have you ever…" Quinn smiled to let her know that she was listening "…have you ever been with a woman before?" Rachel asked.

Quinn didn't stop drawing as she raised a single eyebrow at Rachel's direction.

"Yes. I have" came the short answer after a moment.

"Have you ever been in love with a woman?" Quinn focused on Rachel's bellybutton for a minute before looking up and locked eyes with Rachel.

She saw the fear in Rachel's eyes even if she was trying to look reserved. After a moment Quinn went back to drawing and Rachel saw the pencil moving rapidly once again.

"Yes." Quinn said without looking up. Rachel felt her heart sank for a brief moment before Quinn spoke again "I am" Quinn smiled at her direction making her blush.

Rachel's body was perfect or at least close to perfection according to Quinn and even if she'd drawn several women naked in Paris she still couldn't help the blush that crept on her cheeks when she started to draw Rachel's most private area.

"I believe you are blushing, Ms. Big Artist" Rachel teased her, knowing well what part of her body Quinn was currently focused on. "I can't imagine Monsieur Monet blushing like that" she laughed as Quinn tried to stay cool, even though she was already sweating from head to toe.

"He does landscapes" Quinn raised the sketchbook to cover her blushing face and to have a better angle to draw. Rachel saw Quinn's eye above the sketchbook as the blonde tried to suppress a laugh.

"Dork" Rachel chuckled.

"Don't move. Ms. Draw me please" Rachel blushed a deeper shade of red as Quinn laughed softly to herself.

"Sorry, sorry"

"Eyes on me."

…

"You're amazing" Rachel admitted, completely awed as she stood behind Quinn's chair looking at the picture that the blonde had just drawn of her.

She knew that Quinn was good from the pictures that she'd seen but actually see her working had been a completely new experience and now she had the final piece in front of her and she looked exactly like she had hoped.

She looked simply beautiful, simple being the key word because it was just her. Quinn somehow had managed to capture the essence that was Rachel without the need of elegant clothes and over the top accessories to make her look striking.

Her eyes had a spark on them, her hands looked delicate, and her entire silhouette looked full of energy. She was alive in this picture; she could finally see something that no one else had been able to capture because this was the first time that she was actually feeling happy and it had been because of Quinn.

"_You're_ amazing" Quinn repeated as she wrote the date on the bottom of the page. 4/14/1912. "And sexy" she added with a cute chuckle.

"Shut up" Rachel laughed as the blonde closed the sketchbook.

"Come here" Quinn grabbed Rachel's wrist and pulled her down on her lap, feeling slightly disappointed that the brunette had picked up the kimono from the floor the minute she was done with the picture.

"You are beautiful" Quinn said before she united their lips in a deep kiss which Rachel eagerly returned.

Twenty minutes later Rachel was finally wearing clothes again as Quinn put the chair and couch back in place. A proud smirk adorned her lips as she worked.

"Can you please put this back on the safe" Rachel handed her the black box with the diamond in it.

"Sure" Quinn took the box and put it back into the safe thinking about how much that thing must have cost while Rachel made a life changing decision in the solitude of her bedroom.

"Are you ready?" Quinn turned around to grab her coat because the night was getting colder by the second when she saw Rachel with her sketchbook in her hands.

"Yes" the brunette said from the next room and Quinn heard the safe's door closing with a loud thud.

Quinn walked towards the brunette with the intention of kissing her but the sound of a key in the lock made them stop and turn around. Rachel knew that only three people had the key to the suite and her thoughts went to Finn immediately. She could not have Finn finding Quinn in her suite mostly because William was always with him and that man carried a gun.

She'd love to believe that Finn was not capable of the unthinkable but she had her doubts, most of them concerning William.

"Miss Rachel? Hello" William's voice was heard and Rachel grabbed Quinn's hand and dragged her to the next room, she closed the door very quietly behind them.

"Come on" she said, urging Quinn to follow her. They walked out to the corridor that lead to the B deck foyer from the back door.

Quinn smiled at Rachel before taking her hand and filling the empty spaces between Rachel's fingers with her own. Her heart fluttered as the brunette smiled back with sparkly eyes, they felt like they could conquer the world at that moment when they thought that they left William behind but just when they were about to lean in for what it would have been a small but sweet kiss they heard the door opening in the corridor and saw William coming out.

William's eyes locked with Quinn's and the blonde could almost hear him roar with rage.

"Come on!" Rachel pulled her and both sprung into a run. They avoided running over two ladies just outside the elevator doors but Rachel was laughing and Quinn knew in that moment that she would follow Rachel to hell and back if the girl asked her to.

William was right behind them when they ran inside the elevator closing the doors behind them.

"Take us down. Quickly, quickly!" Rachel ordered and the guy in charge quickly downed the handle just when William got to the gates of the elevator and he hit the iron bars with rage.

Rachel laughed in his face and Quinn was laughing because Rachel was happy. The operator gasped when Rachel flipped William off but the blonde laughed even harder thinking that maybe, just maybe she wasn't exactly a good influence of Rachel and how much she loved that.

With a sense of relieve both girls walked out of the elevator, laughing and with Quinn's arms wrapped tightly around Rachel's waist from behind.

Rachel, still laughing, turned around in Quinn's arms before cupping her cheeks and pulled her down to share a soft and deep kiss that lasted for a few minutes before Quinn rested her forehead on Rachel's and inhale deeply with her eyes closed.

She kissed the tip of Rachel's nose as the shorter girl ran her nails on the back of her neck sending waves of tingles down Quinn's entire body.

"Pretty tough for a valet, that fella." Quinn commented after a few silent seconds. Rachel placed a last small chaste kiss on pink lips before grabbing Quinn's hand to drag her down the long corridor.

"I think he was a cop" Rachel said as they crossed a door without knowing where it might lead them but without actually caring.

"Really cause he was like… oh shit!" Quinn cursed when William's eyes locked with hers once again through a small glass window on the door.

Without missing a beat William launched towards them with full speed at the same time that Quinn grabbed Rachel's hand in hers and did the same in the opposite direction.

That man was really creepy and she wanted to get as far as possible.

They ran around a corner into a dead end alley with three doors on its sides. Quinn pushed open one of them without really knowing where it lead and let Rachel walk inside first before she closed the door and locked it behind them.

They heard a thump on the door where William probably slammed against but they couldn't be sure since the sound coming from below them was too loud.

"Now what?" Rachel screamed.

"What?" Quinn yelled back, both girls had their hands on their ears. The roaring was too damn loud.

William was outside waiting for them so going out was not an option. Quinn eyed the hole on the floor with a ladder going down and knew instantly that _that_ was the only way to go, for now.

"Come" she helped Rachel to go down. The air quickly turned hotter and both girls looked around as the roaring became louder. They saw dozens of men working to get the Titanic moving and Quinn realized that they were on the bottom of the ship.

"What are you doing here?" one of the stokers asked but Rachel was laughing. This was obviously something that she'd never done before, breaking the rules like that and Quinn was done wondering, and she just wanted to see Rachel smiling like that all the time.

So Quinn let herself be pulled by Rachel and they ran together through the boiler room.

"This is dangerous!" another stoker yelled their way but they didn't stop and ran into the next boiling room.

At that point Quinn was amazed by how many people were actually working down there but she didn't stop, she just squeezed Rachel's hand tighter before taking the lead and guiding her through another boiler room but before she could take another step Quinn held her still and kissed her passionately.

When they pulled back Quinn was staring intently at Rachel and the brunette was almost sure than a confession was on the tip of the blonde's tongue. But Quinn just laughed and softly pressed her lips against her forehead before she unwrap her arms from around Rachel's waist and took her hand again.

Rachel knew in that moment. as Quinn was leading her inside the luggage compartment that she hadn't made the wrong choice when she left that note on the safe for Finn to found.

She had everything that she needed right in front of her, literally. As if on cue, Quinn turned around smiling a small but sincere smile that melted Rachel to the bone.

Yes, she belonged with Quinn and there was not a doubt in her hearth or head anymore.

…


	7. Chapter 7

**I've been trying to tell you**

"Would you look at that?" Quinn said completely in owe and let go of Rachel's hand to get a closer look at the Renault. Rachel watched amused as Quinn touched the car with a look of disbelief in her eyes and she wondered how would the blonde feel if she knew that the car actually belonged to Finn.

She had a better idea and decided to keep her mouth shut for the time being. She cleared her throat rather dramatically and as expected Quinn turned around immediately. Rachel motioned to the door and funnily raised her chin in the air.

Quinn caught on very fast and opened the door for her, and even offered her hand for Rachel to climb on the back seat. She pushed the glass down.

"Where to, miss?" she asked as she sat on the driver's seat but Rachel's head was in a completely different place.

She was in love with Quinn and there was no denying it anymore. This was no longer just a game play that will end when the sun comes out in the morning. She had decided it when Quinn was drawing her.

When she watched those hazel eyes be completely amazed by her, when she saw the love and care reflected in Quinn with just one look, she knew. And that's when she decided that she didn't care about the consequences as long as Quinn was with her because the blonde made everything worth it.

"To the stars" she said when she finally caught on with what Quinn had asked a few second prior.

Quinn chuckled as she turned her head to see the brunette but before she could take a better look Rachel grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her through the small window and to the back seat.

The blonde laughed adorably at Rachel's antics but quickly realized that this was more than just a game for Rachel.

"You're shaking" Quinn took her hand and kissed the knuckles as Rachel rested back on the back seat pulling Quinn closer to her.

"I'm not" Rachel contradicted her, obviously shaking. Quinn just kissed the palm of her hand lovingly before she looked into Rachel's very expressive chocolate eyes.

"Are you afraid?" the blonde asked reaching out to tuck a lose strand of brown hair behind the girl's ear. Rachel thought for a moment.

Was she afraid? Yes, she was terrified because she knew that she was going to have to leave behind the life that she knew but she most certainly knew that it was worth it.

"Terrified" Rachel admitted as Quinn's hand met hers between their bodies. The blonde intertwined their fingers together as her mind raced. She wanted to assured Rachel that there was nothing to be afraid of but if she said it she knew that she'd be lying.

Everything was going against them and even if Quinn didn't know exactly what Rachel wanted from her, she was willing to wait until the girl told her to leave or simply stay with her.

She knew that she was being a masochist but she couldn't care less because it hurt _so good_ to be with Rachel even if the rest of the trip was everything that she was going to get with the girl.

The words were on the tip of Quinn's tongue, those three words that would doom her and make her vulnerable in every way possible but Rachel placed her fingers on her lips. She ran her finger on Quinn's lips and then took Quinn's hand and pulled it closer to her face.

Quinn watched in amazement as Rachel kissed the tip of all of her fingers.

"Put your hands on me Quinn."

The blonde shuddered when she heard the words and watched closely but she found no hesitation in Rachel's eyes but then the brunette didn't wait for an answer and Quinn felt Rachel slowly guiding her own hand towards her chest.

Quinn gasped when she felt the girl's breast on the palm of her hand but couldn't hold it back anymore.

She leaned further and took Rachel's lips in a searing kiss. Her hand pressed slightly harder on the girl's body making her moan in the process.

Rachel slide back until she was resting flat on the back seat with Quinn's body on top of hers and their lips still joined in a deep kiss.

As Quinn uncovered every inch of Rachel's body she made sure to cover it with light kisses and soft touches instead.

Rachel knew that she had made the right choice when Quinn's fingers caressed every part of her body with adoration and care. She knew that no one would have been this careful, this loving or respectful with her body.

She had never admitted to anyone before but at that moment, with a naked Quinn in front of her she could honestly said that she had always known her true identity, her true self because she had never seen anything as beautiful as the silhouette of a woman in her whole naked glory before her eyes.

Quinn knew her way around; she had admitted after all to have been with women before Rachel.

She knew where to touch, where to kiss, when to keep going and she knew especially when to ask for permission.

Rachel shook with anticipation as Quinn's fingers traced her navel and ever so slowly reached its destination.

The adrenaline, the excitement, the dull ache in her chest out of so many feelings exploded within Rachel and euphoria took place as those slender and very well experienced fingers touched her for the first time where no one had ever touched her before.

Quinn was gentle above everything else but even _she_ couldn't stop the inevitable from happening and she held Rachel as close as she could as the girl tensed beneath her.

"You are so beautiful" Quinn was on the edge of tears as she kissed Rachel's forehead, trying to erase the deep frown that had formed there. Rachel dug her nails harder on her shoulders but it wasn't discomforting at all because Quinn felt like the luckiest person in the world that night.

The night when Rachel gave her the most precious gift that a woman could ever give to someone.

Rachel didn't say anything back and just released Quinn's shoulders before kissing her deeply and cupping her face.

Quinn was never a believer but when she saw Rachel's face as she came undone in her arms and with her fingers still attaching them together, she send up a thank you to whatever God was listening because he or she had created the most perfect thing and that night she was holding it in her arms.

They kissed as Quinn felt _unsure_ and soft fingers pulling her apart. It didn't take her long to burst and fall on top of the brunette. Seeing Rachel lose herself had been built up enough.

They smiled in the afterglow and stared deeply into each other's eyes for what it felt like forever.

"You're trembling." Rach ran her hands up and down Quinn's arms and reached down to grab the blonde's coat to cover their bodies with it.

"It's okay. I'm alright." Quinn tried to assured her but Rachel looked worried and the blonde kissed her instead. When she pulled back she was out of breath so she laid her cheek on the girl's chest as Rachel started to run her fingers on her short and sweaty blonde hair.

"I can feel your heart beating" Quinn laughed softly and hugged Rachel impossibly closer. She was nuzzled between Rachel's legs and she was glad because the night had turned out to be one of the coldest ones yet.

But the sound of chattering coming from the boiler room that they'd pass about an hour ago prevented them from enjoying the moment any longer and neither needed to utter the words to know that Finn was still looking for Rachel and probably wanting nothing more than to throw Quinn into the freezing ocean once and for all.

They dressed as quickly as they could; taking shy glances at each other's bodies every few seconds. Quinn loved to see Rachel flushed cheeks and she made a mental note to try and make her blush every chance she got from then on.

They got off the car quietly and Quinn quickly went towards a door on the far end of the room behind a mountain of luggage.

"Wait" Rachel's tone was playful and Quinn couldn't help to kiss the smile out of her face.

They saw two men walk inside the large room with lanterns on their hands obviously looking for something. One of the men pointed to the back window of the car and Rachel instantly flushed. She had seen the window fogged but Quinn had been kind enough to not make a comment about it.

They saw the pair of men open the door and practically jumped with adrenaline before they found that the back seat was clear.

Quinn pulled Rachel behind her and into the deck before both of them erupted into laughter.

"Did you see their faces?" Quinn laughed as she wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist to keep the girl close to her.

Rachel's laughter stopped abruptly when she saw Quinn's hazel eyes shine under the moon light and she thought back to the song they sang together and knew that she never wanted to stand under the very same moon without Quinn by her side.

"When this ship docks" she said cupping Quinn's face in her hands and smiling at the blonde "I'm getting off with you."

"You're crazy" Quinn said but her smile was as big as Rachel's. Suddenly the brunette was filled with adrenaline that ran through her veins like poison. She had it all clear now; everything fell into place as she spoke those words out loud.

"I know. It doesn't make any sense. That's why I trust it."

Quinn laughed, loudly so before crashing her lips against her lover's in a deep, bruising kiss.

She had the answer she'd been waiting for since the first time she kissed Rachel and Quinn couldn't be happier.

"You're not going to regret it" she said against Rachel's lips and the brunette kissed her again. Her arms firmly wrapped around Quinn's neck as the blonde picked her up and swirled her around, their lips joined the whole way.

Little did they know about the chaos occurring not too far away from them and the danger that was literally around the corner.

Their lips parted when the ship shook harshly and Rachel held onto Quinn's arms for support. Quinn held onto the starboard rail when the ship didn't stop shaking. She had a good hold of Rachel's hand and her heart was beating widely inside her chest with fear.

"What was that Quinn?" Rachel asked softly just when Quinn's eyes landed on the biggest iceberg she's ever seen. She'd heard of them and even saw one when she was traveled to Europe when she was fifteen but the iceberg in front of her eyes right then was huge.

She pulled Rachel back just before big shops of ice fell on the place that they were standing just a few seconds ago.

They saw it all as the ship moved forward.

"Do you think it damaged the ship?" Rachel asked as Quinn leaned over the starboard to look at the iceberg until it disappeared in the darkness of the night and to look for any signs of damage on the side of the ship but she saw nothing.

Quinn didn't know much about ships but Mr. Chang said that the Titanic was unsinkable so she had to assured Rachel somehow with what she did know.

"I don't think so. The ship barely shook. It's probably nothing to worry about."

Rachel didn't seem convinced at all and memories from her talk with Mr. Chang played in her mind but she nodded her head as Quinn planted a light kiss on her lips and hugged her to her chest into a warm embrace.

…

On Quinn's cabin Santana jumped on the floor when she felt the ship shake only to jump again when her feet came in contact with freezing water.

She always hated to travel.

"Brit, wake up. Holly!" she called, both women woke up and their eyes widen when they say what was happening. There was no room to misplace any conclusion.

It was obvious that the ship was sinking when the lower floor was covered in water.

They dressed rather quickly as Santana eyed her best friend's empty bed and wondered where the hell was Quinn when she needed her the most?.

…

"Stop worrying so much" Quinn softly said but stopped her reassurances when she noted the frantic looks on the officers and hurried paced as they moved through the long corridors and inside the first class cabins.

"Something is up" Rachel noted and pulled Quinn towards the rails that lead to the first class cabins.

She had seen the size of that iceberg. It was impossible for it to not cause severe damage.

Just as they were about to enter the first class deck they saw the Captain along with Mr. Chang and Mr. Abrams walk in a hurry right by them.

"Can you shore up?" Mr. Chang asked to a fourth man that Rachel hadn't seen before.

"Not unless the pumps get ahead."

The group of men was gone and Rachel stood frozen in place. She had seen it, she had felt the hit and she knew that things were only going to get worse from then on.

"It's bad" Quinn whispered as Rachel thought about her mother and Finn. They had to know and they had to know soon because she still remembered the issue with the boats.

"We have to tell Mother and Finn" Rachel said and Quinn raised a single eyebrow at her questioningly. There was no good scenario in which Quinn could confront Rachel's mother _and_ fiancé at the same time and come out unharmed. Come to think about it, she wasn't going to let Rachel confront them by herself either.

"It gets worse" she muttered to herself but Rachel just smiled softly at her.

"Come with me. I jump, you jump, right?" she brokenly asked. Quinn planted a soft kiss to her lips and caressed her cheek with her cold hand.

"Or course sweetheart" she kissed her forehead before following Rachel down the corridor of the suites to find her mother and Finn.

It didn't take long before they rounded a corner and found William in the hall. Rachel tensed but Quinn squeezed her hand and locked eyes with the man, silently daring him to say a word to them.

What happened instead actually made the small hairs of her neck stood at attention. William smiled at them and nodded his head at their direction.

"We've been looking for you miss" his voice was tight as he stepped behind them. He was too close when Quinn turned her head to look at him and again, he just smiled at her and she knew that something was beyond wrong. 

She was about to stop Rachel from going any farther but before she knew it they were crossing the doorframe to the suite.

Her blood ran cold when her eyes landed on Shelby and Finn but Rachel was lightly shaking so she gave the girl a little squeezed before she noticed the two officers standing inside the room as well.

Rachel locked eyes with her mother just to see the disappointment and shame to flash through them. She brought Quinn's hand to her front and started to play with the girls fingers as she gathered up the courage to speak.

"Something serious has happened."

"That's right. Two things dear to me have disappeared this evening. Now that one is back…" Finn looked over Quinn's shoulder to his bodyguard. William gave him a small nod of his head "…I have a pretty good idea where to find the other." His eyes locked with Quinn's and confusion flashed in her eyes for a split second. He smirked at her.

"Search him" Finn ordered and both officers pushed her back and away from Rachel as they look through her pockets.

"This is ridiculous. What's going on?" the blonde asked as Rachel stepped forward to Finn.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked him but he wasn't looking at her. His eyes were locked with the blonde's.

"Coat off, mate" Quinn shook the coat off as ordered. She wasn't afraid, she hadn't stolen a thing.

"Finn, we're in the middle of an emergency and you…" Rachel was cut off when she saw the officer pulled out the Heart of the Ocean from Quinn's coat pocket.

She went into such a state of shock that she didn't notice that the most surprised about it all was Quinn.

"Is this is?" the man asked as Finn stepped forwards.

"That's it" he said with every ounce of venom lacing his voice.

"Alright then. You come with me son" said the officer as he handcuffed Quinn.

The blond looked up in search of Rachel but when she saw doubt in the brunette's eyes she lost it.

"Don't you believe it, Rachel. Don't!" she practically screamed but Rachel was stunned.

"He couldn't have" she murmured sounding unsure. She had given Quinn the box, she had trusted her to put the box in the safe. She had seen the box in there when she left the note and the picture.

She trusted Quinn but what just happened made her doubt everything. From their first meeting, first kiss, the drawing, everything came back to her mind and she wondered if Quinn was always looking for a paycheck all this time.

No. She couldn't think that way. She trusted Quinn. She loved Quinn.

"Of course he could. Easy enough for a professional. He memorized the combination when you opened the safe."

Quinn had been standing right next to Rachel when she opened the safe but she had left the safe opened anyway. Had she made a mistake in trusting a girl that she barely knew?

"But I was with he – him the whole time" she couldn't let it slip even if Quinn's honor was being put in question.

"Rachel" Quinn pleaded "Rachel look at me" she waited until their eyes met "I didn't do it, you know I didn't do it. You know me, Rachel. You know me."

Did she really?

"Maybe he did it while you were putting your clothes back on, darling" Finn lowly said in v's ear. He had found the picture after all, she thought.

"Rachel, they put it in my pocket!" Quinn harshly said remembering how William had been too close to her in the hallway.

Just in time William raised the coat in front of him with a smirk as big as the ship itself on his ugly face.

"It's not even your pocket, son" he said with a smile on his face and Finn laughed loudly so. "Property of A. L. Ryerson" read William and handed the coat to the officer. The label sure showed so.

"This was reported stolen today" said the officer less amused than the two men behind him.

"I was going to return it, I swear" said Quinn being caught on "I needed to see you, Rachel. Please, would you look at me?"

Rachel felt betrayed, hurt and violated in every way imaginable. After what she just gave Quinn in the back seat of that car. How could she had been so stupid.

"Rachel. Rachel look at me" Quinn was panicking but Rachel turned around denying her.

"No, no. Wait!" she shouted when William and the officers started to push her out of the room "No! Rachel! Rachel, don't you believe them Rachel! You know me! Rachel!"

Rachel felt her heart in her throat, she couldn't assimilate it. She felt like she was being ripped apart. She had trusted Quinn.

"Rachel, don't listen to them. I didn't do this! You know I didn't! You know it!" as Quinn's yells faded away down the hall Rachel finally let the tears scape her eyes.

Shelby placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder as she exchanged a look with Finn, silently praising him for such a great stunt.

Rachel broke down in Shelby's arms as the older woman ran a hand through her long tresses in a soothing fake manner.

"Why do women believe men?" Shelby said in a condescending tone but all Rachel could think of was, Quinn is not a man.

…


	8. Chapter 8

**A little faith in me**

Mike Chang was shaking. His brow furrowed so deep in his forehead as he pointed at the boiler rooms in the plan of the Titanic.

"Five compartments" his tone shook slightly so and Captain was just starting to absorb all of his obvious fear "She can stay afloat with the first four compartments breached. But not five. Not five" Chang was trying to get through the Captain but the older man was shocked to even react.

Everyone had been talking about the unsinkable ship and this was his last trip. An honor certificate waited for him at home along with his retirement check and now the ship was going to sink. He knew before Chang finished talking.

"As she goes down by the head the water will spill over the tops of the bulkheads, at E deck, from one to the next, back and back. There's no stopping it."

"The pumps" he tried to sound collected but Chang was on the edge of freaking out. He could see it.

"The pumps buy us time, but minutes only. From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder."

There were several gasps around the room full of men but only Abrams stepped up.

"But this ship can't sink!" he said as a matter of fact but Chang didn't spare him a look. His eyes were locked with the Captain's.

"She is made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. And she will. Is it a mathematical certainty" he softly said. The captain looked around the room to every single face that had been by his side during this trip.

His last trip.

"How much time?"

"An hour, two at most" the Captain's eyes locked with Puckerman's. The boy had been like a son to him, this was his first big trip and he was in charge of the young man.

"How many aboard, Mr. Puckerman?" the boy was sweating but he stepped forward.

"Two thousand two hundred souls aboard, sir" his voice shook. Hell, his whole body was shaking with fear and uncertainty. His first trip. First.

"I think we'll make the headlines after all, Mr. Abrams" the Captain said before he took his men and walked out of the room.

He had an entire sea of people to safe by himself.

…

Rachel had stopped crying when her mother walked away from her as soon as Finn returned to the suite.

She stood in front of him. Her vision of the man had changed drastically when he scared her to the bones by acting like a completely caveman at breakfast.

She feared him but she wasn't going to let him know that. The only sight of him was enough to make her shiver as it was. He was way too tall and right at that moment he hovered above her like a shadow she couldn't outrun.

He was angry. His ego was bruised.

She didn't look up, her eyes fixed on his bowtie but avoiding his gaze.

He opened his mouth as to regard her but instead of speaking Rachel saw the hand fly to her cheek and then it hit her like a brick on the wall.

The strength of the slap threw her face to the side and for a moment she couldn't feel anything but the weight of the world on her face. She saw the light of flames behind her eyelids but it was all over as soon as it began when he grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shook her like a ragdoll.

But it's not the slap or the roughness that Finn used that broke her heart, no. It was the knowledge that this man who was supposed to be her husband in a near future could lay a hand on her over jealousy.

"You are nothing but a little slut, aren't you?" he angrily spited in her face. Her own ego shattered to pieces with his words so she refused to look up at him. "Look at me, you little…"

Then the door of the suite sprung open after a soft knock and a butler walked inside in frenzy.

"Sir, I've been told to ask you to please put on your lifebelt, and come up to the boat deck." He politely said before making a beeline for the closets to retrieve said lifebelts.

"Get out. We're busy" Finn's eyes were still locked on Rachel's now shocked face. She was pressing the palm of her hand to her burning cheek but it didn't ease the pain.

The butler was adamant to go and insisted.

"I'm sorry about the inconvenience, Mr. Hudson, but it's Captain's orders. Please dress warmly, its quiet cold tonight" he handed a lifebelt to Rachel and thinking that the girl's distress was due to his warnings he smiled kindly at her "Not to worry, miss. I'm sure it's just a precaution."

"This is ridiculous" Finn uttered under his breath before he turned around.

Rachel nodded at the butler with appreciation writing all over her face. He had done more than just hand her a lifebelt that night. _He_ had been her lifebelt it seemed.

…

As the first class passengers enjoyed the services of butlers and drinks accompanied by melodic music while the ship was sinking slowly it was a complete different story all together for the third class passengers.

Butlers were bursting into the cabins without an ounce of respect to the occupants of those rooms.

"Everybody up. Let's go! Put your lifebelts on" the yells waken up the less fortune people in the ship.

"Come on, come on! Put your lifebelts on! Come on!" they yelled in the corridors while banging on the doors with force.

…

Chang looked at the empty deck with disbelief in his eyes. An officer told him a few minutes later that the passengers thought the night was too cold to be standing outside.

He wanted to laugh at how stupid people were at that moment. _Rich people_, he thought with disgust.

All first class passengers were gathered near the staircase. Chang wanted to scream, to tell them what was going on but that would have only raised chaos. Everyone was confused, he could see it in their eyes but everyone was also too damn proud to stepped ahead and ask for what was going on.

How could people act that way in such a situation? He shook his head; he wanted to wake up from whatever bad dream he was having.

The butlers all seemed to be worried. Chang saw a few tripping on their own feet to get whatever it was that they wanted to get to. Fear was shining in their eyes and an enormous weight pressed against his chest.

He had built the ship; he had said that it was ready, that it was unsinkable. He had promised that they'd get too New York safe and sound and now more than half of the passengers wouldn't see the light of another day.

…

Rachel was being dragged by Finn and her mother towards the foyer where everyone was gathering.

She felt the sting of tears behind her eyelids; she wasn't done crying by any means.

She still couldn't believe, she refused to believe that Quinn had used her, had abused her, tricked her in the most vicious way imaginable.

No. No, she wasn't going to believe it. She couldn't. Quinn loved her as much as she loved Quinn. She knew it.

But everything was so confusing, everything pointed right back at Quinn and that's what should have made it hard to believe.

She needed to find her. She needed to talk to her but the ship was sinking and Finn had a hold of her arm in a tight grip.

She heard her mother gave instructions to Tina about making tea and she wanted to slap her mother across the face because the ship was sinking and all Shelby could think off was damn tea.

Rachel saw Mr. Chang walking up the staircase and without thinking twice she shook her arm free from Finn's grasp and ran towards Chang.

She grabbed his arm and turned him around. His eyes were shining and she could clearly see the faith slipping away from him. Finn was right behind her.

"I saw the iceberg, Mr. Chang. And I see it in your eyes. Please tell me the truth." She begged and Mr. Chang looked both sides before walking back down with Rachel's hands in his own.

"The ship will sink" he solemnly said. It was like a punch in the gut. She hated to be right sometimes and that was one of those times.

And Quinn was everything she could think of. Where had they taken her? What had they done to her?

Finn looked confused. They said the ship was unsinkable!

"You're certain?" Rachel needed confirmation and Mr. Chang nodded his head while locking eyes with her.

"Yes. In an hour or so, all this…" he looked around at his creation and felt the dull pain in his chest grow "…will be at the bottom of the Atlantic."

"My God" Finn was shocked. The words of Mr. Chang repeated over and over in his head. He just couldn't believe it.

"Please tell only who you must, I don't want to be responsible for a panic" Rachel nodded her head thinking about how she was supposed to safe Quinn. She needed to safe her because no matter what, she loved the blonde. No matter what happened and no matter what all the clues left to believe, she loved Quinn and she needed her to live simply because there was not a world she wanted to live in if Quinn wasn't in it too.

"And get to a boat quickly. Don't wait. You remember what I told you about the boats?" Mr. Chang quietly asked her. She just nodded again.

"Yes, yes. I understand. Thank you" she sincerely said. Chang just smiled tightly at her before leaving.

…

The officer was handcuffing Quinn to a water pipe when he got the call that he was needed on the upper deck.

"Go on. I'll keep an eye on him" William offered.

"No, wait" Quinn called the officer "I didn't do it, please. You have to believe me, I didn't steal anything!" but the officer wasn't even paying her any attention as he handed William the key of the handcuffs and left the room without sparing her a second look.

"Begging won't do you any good" William said as he took a seat in front of her flipping the key in his hands while Quinn thought that there was no way out.

…

The Captain walked down the deck. There were dozens of men working on freeing the boats from the ropes that tied them to the Titanic and readying them to be aboard.

Several people stood outside. Some still looked confused, others were confident, arrogant that they'd be the first to be taken, others looked completely terrified.

There weren't enough boats, Chang had told him so. What would the sponsors think in the morning when they realized that there weren't enough boats aboard because of their vanity?

His eyes fell on two little girls holding suitcases and their mother was carrying a puppy in her arms. Ridiculous, he thought. It couldn't be happening.

"Hadn't we better get the women and children into the boats, sir?" one of the officers asked but the Captain was beyond himself. The deck was already full with people and the third class passengers were being locked in the lower floors because Abrams had said something about saving the best half. Ridiculous!

The officer recognized the look in his Captain eyes as one of utter terror so he asked again. Louder.

"Sir?" he practically yelled and the older man's eyes finally focused on him.

"Yes. Women and children first" the officer looked like he wanted to stay with the Captain, help him to react but people needed to be safe so he turned to the rest of the men to address them.

"Listen to me!" he called, his voice loud and proponent. Every single working man turned their eyes at him "We are going to start the loading with women and children" he clearly said, receiving nods of approval from his team of work for the night.

The Captain' eye's went wide when he saw the band walk out to the deck and started to play their violins. Couldn't anyone see that the boat was sinking for Christ sake!

"Ladies and gentlemen" the young officer called the attention of the passengers "I'm going to need only women and children for now" his tone didn't leave room for argument so no one fought back his decision.

Finn, Rachel and Shelby emerged from the inside to the cold night. Rachel shook her head when she saw the suitcases on every woman's hand, boxes of jewelry and maids carrying coats behind them.

Their lack of compassion was overwhelming and it killed Rachel to know that she was one of those women not even a week ago. It killed her to know that she still was.

Quinn had made her see what else was out there, all the fun she could have when she wasn't trying to live out of expectations. Quinn had made her feel alive and how could she have been so stupid? She loved Quinn, she loved her.

"My brooch, I left my brooch. I must have it!" Shelby's voice brought her out of her own thoughts and for the first time in her entire life she saw nothing but a stupid, brainless and heartless shell of a person in her mother's figure.

She felt ashamed to call her mother in that moment and it hurt her deeply.

"You're not going anywhere Shelby" Finn said, his own tone filled with worry. Rachel didn't spare him a look.

…

Santana was trying to push her way through the crowd but with no avail. She didn't need anyone telling her that the ship was sinking because she had woken up to a wet floor and that was all the proof that she needed to know exactly what was going on.

The people were shouting at the bottom of the main staircase to their deck and Santana watched with a slight set of panic that the gates had been locked. They were trapped like dogs in cages in one of the lowest floors.

They'd be the first to die if they didn't manage to get to the upper floor fast.

To her right Brittany was looking everywhere with her big expressive and innocent baby blue eyes and the brunette made up her mind at that moment. She'd do whatever it takes to get Brittany safe.

"Wait for me here" she said and before Brittany could give her an answer Santana was already making her way up the staircase.

The steel gate was locked and butlers were on the other side trying to calm the crowd, giving empty explanations she knew.

"Stay calm, please. It's not time to go up to the boats yet" one of the butlers said. If Santana was good at something, she liked to believe that that something was reading people. She was good at knowing when someone was lying; she was good seeing sadness behind big smiles.

With one look at the butler on the other side of the gate and after hearing his voice she knew that he was lying.

"Open the gate" she demanded but the butler simply ignored her. "Open the gate!" he looked at her alright but he just turned around one more time and left the place.

…

The hurried steps of worried people could be heard through the closed door where Quinn was being held. She didn't want it to show but internally she was terrified. No one knew of her whereabouts. Her best friend was probably looking for her and Rachel. She needed to see Rachel one more time.

She looked up through a small porthole only to realize that the water was quickly catching up. It will be no time before that particular floor was under the water.

She didn't want to die like that, not after what happened, not drawn and without the love of her life by her side.

William sat in front of her with his gun held tightly in his hands as he eyed her with disgust. She kept hiding her face behind the pipe in fear that he could see her obvious feminine profile.

"You know? I believe this ship may sink" he stood up and walked closer to where she was chained.

"You know I didn't do it" she spat angrily in his face but he was humored by her statement "Just a coward sends someone else to deal his debts."

He raised his hand as if to slap her across the face and she hide behind the pipe. She wasn't going to make it out of there alive so she might as well just say what's on her mind.

He laughed, loudly so and she wanted to have her hands free to defend herself.

"I can see where your sudden courage has come" he mocked her "At least you know that this is how a man pays for touching Mr. Hudson's stuff"

"Rachel it's not something he owns!" she angrily screamed. How dared he to say such thing!

"She will be once they're married and he had taken care of all her father's debts" William laughed some more.

"She will never love him the way she loves me. I can assure you that" she didn't know about Rachel's father but all that caught her attention was the fact that William said that there will be a wedding.

Even after Finn found out that Rachel had been with her/him all day, that she ran from her bodyguard while holding _her_ hand. He was still planning on marrying her and what for? To make her pay?

"He doesn't care about her love" William said as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. "He is a business man."

So that was it. Rachel was a price, a trophy wife and Quinn was about to become an example of Finn's rage.

"I'd love to stay here and get to know you" William said with Quinn's eyes locked with his "But I've been asked to give you this small token of our appreciation…" and with all his force he punched Quinn in the stomach.

She fell to her knees as he dusted his coat and looked down on her as she coughed and gasped for breath.

"Compliments of Mr. Finn Hudson" he said over his shoulder as he walked out of the room and into the deserted corridor with a small silver key in his hand.

…

The sky momentarily lighted up with different colors from the rockets. Kids stared in owe as Rachel planned her getaway.

Finn watched her with a small smile on his lips. This woman would be his wife in less than a week and Quinn was locked in a lower floor. Everything was looking up perfect for him.

"Women and children only!" the officer called as Finn, Rachel and Shelby got closer to aboard.

"Is there room for a gentleman?" Finn asked the officer. Rachel saw with clarity the fear behind his grin as he spoke and how hard he tried to look confident. She silently wondered if the officer could see it too?

"Sorry, sir. No men yet" the officer responded before he helped another lady over the rail. Another rocket burst over their heads. Rachel knew that they were trying to take the children's minds away from the disaster occurring.

A woman cried on her right as she kissed her husband goodbye and Rachel felt her heart sink lower. She didn't have anyone to kiss goodbye. She didn't want to say goodbye.

Terri was eager to get on a boat as was everyone else but at least the blonde woman had the decency to look guilty for the rest of the people that was obviously being kept behind.

"Come on, you heard the man. Get in the boat, sister" she said as Shelby eyed the boat with superiority.

"Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? I hope they're not too crowded" she pressed her hand on her chest as she laughed mockingly. Rachel couldn't take it anymore.

"Oh, Mother shut up!" she raised her voice shocking Shelby and Terri in the process "Don't you understand? The water is freezing…" she thought back to the day when Quinn saved her life, the blonde had told her so "…not enough by half. Half the people on this ship are going to die."

Quinn was a permanent thought in her head. She needed to find her, to safe her the same way the girl had safe her before.

"Not the better half" she turned around when she heard Finn's arrogant voice. He smirked at her and she had never felt more disgusted in her life than she did at that moment.

Quinn was a third class passenger but she was far better than Finn in every single way imaginable but what he said is that Quinn will never see the light of day again.

Over Rachel's dead body.

"You unimaginable bastard" she uttered the words with venom but his smirk was still in his lips.

Terri boarded the boat and reached out her hand to help a still shocked Shelby.

"Come on, Shel, get in the boat. These are the first class seats right up here" she hoped that the brunette didn't catch the sarcasm in her tone "That's it" she smiled tightly at the woman before turning her eyes to the younger brunette.

"Come on, Rachel. You're next, honey."

Rachel looked at Terri's hand and stepped back only to crush on Finn's chest. She turned around to face him again, he was confused but at the same time realization flashed through his eyes.

"Rachel!" Shelby called her with a tone very close to desperation "Get in the boat."

It was an order but Rachel wasn't going to take orders from her mother anymore. Her heart broke at the sight of the woman who raised her but she couldn't find it in herself to go with her.

"Goodbye, mother."

She turned around just in time when the officers started to down the boat. Shelby completely shock, couldn't utter a word as she watched her only daughter's back walking away.

A hand grabbed her arm roughly and turned her around at once. Rachel saw Finn's raging eyes staring at her with disbelief.

"Where are you going? To him? Is that it? To be a whore to that gutter rat?" his words didn't hurt her in the slightest as he expected them to. As she stood there with his hands squeezing her arms she realized that she felt sorry for him and that she'd rather be anything than his wife.

And that's exactly what she told him "I'd rather be his whore than your wife."

She managed to get out of his grasp as his jaw hit the floor and his eyes watered.

"No!" he screamed and grabbed her arms again, she fought against his hold "No!"

"Help! Help!" Rachel screamed back to anyone who could hear her. Finn shocked by Rachel's screams for help let her go and she ran on the opposite way from him and straight into the crowd. "That man tried to take advantage of me" she accused him.

A group of men advanced towards Finn but his eyes were locked with Rachel's as they pushed him backwards by the shoulders and grabbed his hands to force him away.

He was shaking with anger but Rachel didn't care anymore. He didn't dictate her life, she did and she was choosing Quinn at that moment. It had always been Quinn from the very beginning and she was going to find her to tell her just that.

She turned around and ran inside the ship running as fast as she could. She needed to apologize to Quinn and tell her that she loved her.

…


	9. Chapter 9

**Roses are red**

Quinn pulled the pipe with all her force. Her feet were on the wall as she tried to gain more force to pull with but the pipe didn't move an inch. Her wrists were raw from all the times she'd tried to fit her hand through the metal around it, nothing was working.

She kept pulling on the pipes over and over again but they didn't budge.

"Hello! Please! Help!" she screamed but the silence she was met with was terrifying. She was beyond scared to that point.

She kept pushing but nothing was happening. Her heart stopped beating when she heard a gurgling sound and her eyes looked frantically for the source until she saw water spreading form under the door quit rapidly towards her.

"Shit. Shit" she pulled harder and hit the pipe with the cuffs faster. "Come on" she stood and tried to pull her hand out of the cuffs but it wasn't working. Her hand soon turned even rawer but she was still handcuffed to the damn pipe.

"Help! Somebody! Can anybody hear me?! Help!" she hit the cuffs on the pipe to create sound but the only sound she could hear was the gurgling of the water as it leaked inside the room.

"Not like this, not like this" she kept pulling her hand and hitting the pipes but no one was there to listen and all she could think about was that Rachel better be in one of those boats and safe by now.

…

Rachel ran down the corridor looking for the only man that could help her. Several men and women hit her shoulders as they ran in the opposite direction trying to save themselves.

Then she saw him turning a corner, hope already filling her heart and ran faster to catch him. She could do this.

"Mr. Chang!" he turned around and reached out his hands for Rachel to hold. She was breathless and he couldn't believe that she was still on the Titanic.

"Mr. Chang, thank God!" she gasped for breath as he held her hands "Where would they take someone under arrest?"

"What? You have to get to a boat right away!" he tried to take her to the deck again but she resisted and stood firm.

"No! I will do this with or without your help, sir. But without it, it will take much longer."

She begged with her eyes and he looked conflicted. For a moment Rachel thought that he wouldn't help her but then his eyes shifted to the ground and he took a deep breath. He knew she was stubborn and that nothing will change her mind at that point.

"Take the elevator to the very bottom" he said as he guided her towards the elevator, she listened intently "Go left, down the crewman's passage then make a right, you'll see a long corridor. Third door to the left."

"Bottom, left, right, left. I have it" she nodded and squeezed his hand in appreciation, her mind repeating his instructions one more time.

"Hurry, Rachel. You don't have much time left," she ran down the hall towards the elevator as Mr. Chang returned to the corridor where she found him. He needed to make sure that everyone was out on the deck.

Rachel saw the small group gathered around the elevator doors as she walked closer.

"Sorry, miss. Lifts are closed…" his tone made her blood boil. The ship was sinking and this guy was still working! She was not a princess!

She shoved him inside the elevator; his back hit the other side, his eyes widen at her strength but other than that he didn't protest.

"I'm through with being polite, God damn it! I may never be polite the rest of my life! Now take me down!" the operator pushed the lift as Rachel closed the gates.

"Take me to the bottom" he nodded stupidly as she took a deep breath.

They started to go down slowly. Rachel's eyes were trained on the floors they were descending, her hands were sweating and she was breathing faster than normal. She didn't need to see her hands to know that she was shaking.

She was going to find Quinn and she was going to be alright. She had to be.

Suddenly the elevator hit something underneath and before they knew ice water was pooling around their legs. Rachel screamed and stepped back in surprise and so did the operator. She didn't expect water this soon and the sight alone terrified her.

"I'm going back up" he was freaking out.

"No!" Rachel stopped him and with great difficulty she opened the gates.

"I'm going back up! I'm going back up!" the operator yelled. Rachel locked eyes with him. She imagined that in a few minutes the elevator will be useless in that floor. Her chin was already trembling because of how cold the water was but she couldn't give up.

"I'm going" the operator said one last time before the elevator started to slowly go up and she looked down to the water around her feet.

It was so cold that she couldn't think of anything else beside the water on her feet. Her teeth were chattering as she turned around to look for a sign that indicated where exactly she was standing since she had never been on that particular floor.

"Left, crew passage" she repeated as her eyes landed on a slog. She thought about Quinn being in this floor with all that water around her and for how long. She didn't want the girl to be cold.

Her throat was closing in, all the emotions she was keeping to herself were about to burst through but she needed to be strong, she needed to find Quinn.

Not a single soul was around, she was on her own and the fear of finding Quinn was quickly growing with uncertainty. All the worse scenarios were popping in her mind as she took heavy step after heavy step.

She didn't know if she was going to be able to take the image of a beating Quinn if that was the case. She needed the girl to be alright.

"Right" she murmured, her lips were turning blue at that point but she kept walking. "Long corridor" she looked both ways taking deep breaths. Her feet were almost numb "Right."

She walked down but couldn't remember the last indication that Mr. Chang gave her. She kept walking and she realized that the water was by her knees by then. It was happening way faster than she thought it would.

"Quinn? Quinn!" she screamed as hard as she could. It seemed like all hope had disappeared and all she could do was yell the name of the girl that had stolen her heart.

…

Quinn was pulling on the pipe tireless; she didn't want to die like that, not drawn or freezing. Her wrists were bleeding from all the pulling but she kept trying, never losing hope that if she tried hard enough the pipe would give in.

"Damn it!" she cursed before she collapsed on her knees on top of the desk she had pulled with her legs. She could feel the tears behind her eyelids but she refused to lose hope, she needed to try harder.

She decided to pull again -even though her wrist were bleeding at that point- when she heard a muffled voice coming from outside.

She recognized it instantly and a smile the size of the Titanic itself broke on her face.

"Rachel! Rachel, in here! I'm in here!" she hit the pipe with the cuffs hoping that Rachel would hear her. "In here, Rach!"

Rachel heard the voice and quickly made her way to the door where it was coming from. She pushed with all her strength to open the door and there Quinn was, on the corner of the room, handcuffed to a pipe with blood running down her arms and without a jacket and it was freezing!

"Quinn, Quinn!" she splashed over to the blonde wrapping her arms around the girl's neck and kissing her deeply. Quinn returned the kiss immediately and with fervor. "I'm so sorry Quinn, I'm so sorry" Rachel started to cry as Quinn tried to kiss her tears away but with no success because she couldn't reach.

"William put it in my pocket when he met us in the corridor" the blonde explained hoping with all her heart that Rachel believed her. Rachel kissed her again.

"I know, I know" she cried and then her eyes fell on Quinn's bloody wrists and she felt guiltier than before. She could only imagine how hopeless the girl was feeling down there all by herself and it was her fault.

"I'm so sorry" she apologized again as a new set of tears fell down her cheeks. Quinn knew that Rachel felt guilty even more then that she saw the blood in her wrists.

"I understand sweetheart, I do" she assured Rachel when she looked up "You're here now and that's…" she stopped and couldn't help to frown. Rachel looked taken aback for a second by Quinn's sudden change of attitude.

"How could you be so stupid, Rachel?" the brunette shook her head firmly believing that Quinn was talking about the incident with the necklace "Why didn't you go to the boats, huh?"

Realization sank down and Rachel felt herself fall harder for the blonde. She wasn't mad because Rachel had doubt her, she was mad because Rachel was there and not safe.

"I couldn't leave without you" she softly replied "I couldn't leave you here."

Quinn was on the verge of tears herself but she had to admit that she was glad that Rachel was there but the thought of the girl putting her life in danger for her was too scary.

"Alright then" she said and motioned for Rachel to get closer. As soon as she was close enough Quinn kissed her with all she got and felt Rachel responding with the same amount of passion. She rested her forehead on Rachel's for only one second before kissing it lightly as Rachel caressed her face and neck, "help me with these and we'll get out of here together."

Rachel smiled for the first time in hours and turned around to look for something.

"What do I do?" she turned back around. Quinn thought she was the cutest thing that she'd ever seen.

"A key baby, look for a key. A small one" she instructed and Rachel got to work opening drawers in the desk. Quinn stared at her as she looked around thinking about how much she loved that woman and vowing once again to get her out that ship _alive_.

"How did you know that I didn't do it?" she softly asked and Rachel turned around to look at her in the eye.

"I didn't" she shook her head. Quinn saw her blue lips and trembling chin, she needed to get her a coat or a blanket and soon "I just realized that I already knew."

Quinn smiled as they stared at each other until she realized that Rachel had stopped looking and time wasn't on their favor.

"Keep looking baby" she motioned and Rachel shook her head before she got to work again.

After a couple of minutes the water was above Rachel's knees and she still had no key in her hands.

"There's no key in here" she voiced but Quinn had already figured that out and fear willed up within her again for both, herself and Rachel.

Rachel was about to cry again when Quinn called her over.

"It's ok, baby" said the blonde as she kissed the top of the brunette's head "You have to go for help" Rachel nodded but she didn't want to leave Quinn alone again.

"I'll be alright. You need to go fast and I'll be right here" Rachel bitterly thought about where she was going to go when she was handcuffed to the damn pipe but she kept her mouth shut and tears barely contained.

She needed to safe Quinn, she needed to do it.

"I'll be right back," she reluctantly said before she pressed her lips against Quinn's again and again and then again before reluctantly pulling away.

"I'll wait for you right here!" Quinn called behind her back as she made her way to the half flooded corridor.

Rachel didn't allow herself to think about negative outcomes. She was going to find help and she was going to get Quinn out of there. They were going to make it, damn it!

She splashed down the hall passing the corridor she came from and straight to a set of stairs. She quickly ran up a little faster without the water pooling around her legs.

She took off her large but thin coat and left if on a side to be able to move a little faster. She didn't even know where she was but she kept walking in what seemed to be a labyrinth of sorts. Long corridor after long corridor, all empty.

She swallowed hard. There was no one down there and the cracking of the doors and windows was really starting to freak her out.

"Hello? Somebody?" she called but no one was around. She needed to go up another floor but she didn't know is she was going to be back on time if she did that.

She turned around another corner; she was running at that point becoming desperate with every passing second but the light went off making her stop mid-step.

Her heart was on her throat, eyes wide with fear as she waited. The lights came back with a horrifying creak of the wood.

She was so cold, her chin was out of control, shaking harshly and that second that she'd been left in darkness had been the scariest second of her entire life. She could feel the tears willing in her eyes again but the figure of a man down the corridor alerted her again.

"Help! Sir, help me please, there's someone down there" but the man didn't pay her any attention, he was running down and as soon as her hand touched his arm, he shook it roughly "Sir, please. Sir!" he was gone.

The light flickered and went out again. She collapsed on the wall behind her and stood motionless for a second hoping with all her being that the lights will return. With the same creaking noise the lights were turned on again after a couple of seconds.

A butler appeared around the corner and she let out a breath she'd been holding when he looked at her. He was carrying lifebelts in his arms.

"Come on, miss. I'll take you up, is alright" he grabbed a hold of her arm as she tried to speak.

"Wait, wait! I need your help" he shook his head as he dragged her down the corridor against her will.

"Of course you do but no need to panic, miss. Come along" he wasn't stopping and he was taking her with him.

"No, let me go. Listen to me!" he pulled harder, she realized that he was in some kind of induced shocked state but Quinn was waiting for her downstairs and he was trying to take her up "Stop! You're going in the wrong direction! Stop!" in a shear moment of panic she hit him square in the nose. He let go of her as blood rolled down his chin immediately after her small fist made contact with his face.

"To hell with you!" he said before he ran ahead and left her there.

"No, wait!" but he didn't stop.

She turned around; the corridor was empty as was the whole floor.

To her right she saw a glass case with a fire axe inside. She'd never use one before but she was pretty sure that _that_ could cut the cuffs. She broke the glass with the end of the water hose and took the axe in her hands before running back to the way she came.

When she got to the staircase she started to shake harder than before. The water was flooding so much higher than before and as she stepped into it she realized that it was colder as well.

Her chin started to shake almost immediately as she got inside the water with the axe tightly held in her hands she got all the way in. she gasped when the air left her body out of surprise, the water was up to her waist and it was exactly how Quinn described it.

Rachel felt like a thousand knifes were pocking her all over her body. Her legs were hurting and it was costing a great deal to take a step.

She held the axe above her head in her hands as she power through the freezing water. Her hair was a mess, long gone was her expensive due but she couldn't care less.

…

Quinn was sat on top of a bench by the wall keeping her legs out of the cold water as she waited patiently. It was a while since Rachel had left to find help but she had faith in the brunette so she was certain that she'd come back.

She heard the water splashing out and she looked at the door just in time to see a very pale Rachel walk inside with an axe in her hands. She was trembling and looked beyond scared but she was there.

"Will this work?" she asked with a small voice and Quinn wanted to reach out and offer her warmth but she couldn't and they were running out of time.

"We'll find out baby, come here" the girl's lips were purple and she was missing her pink coat. Quinn grimaced at the thought. She seriously needed to get her a coat.

The pipes groaned in the corridor and fear flashed through their eyes, time was running out and fast.

Quinn stretched out the chain connecting the cuffs but it was barely two inches long and Rachel wasn't even holding the axe right.

"Separate your hands a little bit" she said and Rachel complied.

"Like this?" her chin was shaking uncontrollably.

"Yes, like that baby. Now take a couple of practice shots right there" she pointed to the bureau that was just to Rachel's left.

The water was filling in quicker than before and Quinn started to panic as Rachel lifted the axe and hit the edge of the bureau with barely there force.

"Good, now try to hit the same mark again harder" Rachel nodded furiously and lifted the axe above her shoulder. When she hit the desk she hit it almost five inches away from the first hit.

They shared a look and Quinn saw the terror in Rachel's eyes but she dismissed it.

"Enough practice baby. Now come on, you can do it" she stretched the chain on the pipe again.

Rachel saw the dried blood on Quinn's wrists wishing that she wouldn't cut one of those wrists off in a moment. She was terrified of hurting the blonde but she was more terrified of not being able to help Quinn.

"You can do this, Rachel. Look at me sweetheart" Quinn called her. Rachel was beyond herself. She felt like she couldn't take another minute in the water, it was so cold. "Hit it as hard as you can at once, don't doubt yourself baby. I trust you."

Rachel got closer for Quinn to kiss her which she did. The warmth of her lips was enough to make Rachel realize that she'd always trusted Quinn with her life and even more with her heart.

Rachel stared at the little chain and lifted the axe. Quinn closed her eyes and looked away without knowing that Rachel did the same thing as she lowered the axe with speed.

Both girls snapped their eyes open when the sound of the metal colliding with metal resounded in the room.

Quinn smiled as wide as her face allowed her to when she realized that her hands were intact and she was free.

"You did it, babe!"

Rachel dropped the axe to the floor and practically jumped on Quinn who catch her just in time wrapping her arms around the smaller girl's waist as their lips collided in a relieved kiss.

Rachel was laughing against Quinn's lips. "I'm so proud of you" the blonde murmured and somehow that meant so much more to Rachel than any compliment she'd ever heard in her life.

"Fuck! It's so cold" Quinn gasped for air as Rachel kissed her cheeks with her ice cold lips and caressed her arms with equally cold hands.

"I'm so glad you're ok" Rachel kissed her one more time before they pulled back. Quinn took her hand in hers and brought it to her lips to plant a small kiss on her knuckles. The blonde smiled a cute little smile that said how happy she was that Rachel was ok as well.

"Let's get out of here, baby" Quinn took the lead and headed for the door.

"The stairs are that way" Rachel's chin quivered harder when she spoke but Quinn shook her head immediately. The light wires were sparkling and the water was coming faster from the way that Rachel was pointing and from where they were standing it looked like the water was boiling.

"We gotta find another way out, come" she pulled the brunette down the opposite end. The water was over their chests at that point but Quinn managed to pull Rachel down a few more meters until they found another staircase to the left.

Quinn kissed Rachel's hand again as they went up the stairs as fast as they could. Both girls were shaking and not only because the water was freezing but they were also terrified to no end.

Quinn kept eying the corridors as they ran up but they were completely empty.

They stopped when they came face to face with a door. Quinn checked, a locked door.

"It's locked" she let go of Rachel's hand to force the handle but it was simply not budging.

"What do we do?" Rachel asked, scared out of her mind. Quinn turned around to see her lover but the brunette looked completely devastated. She had been in the water for too long, her lips were three different shades of color and her arms were covered in bruises.

"Baby, you're freezing" Quinn said as she cupped her cheeks and pulled her closer. Her hands rubbed Rachel's back, arms and hands. The girl was shaking uncontrollably.

"I like that," Rachel smiled and even if her chin was out of her control Quinn still thought that she was the most beautiful girl that she'd ever see.

"What?" she softly asked as she kissed her hands and blew hot air in them. The sudden wave of heat made Rachel smile.

"When you call me baby" Quinn's heart fluttered for the thousand time since she'd met Rachel but it was alright. As she kissed Rachel's lips softly she knew that it was just alright.

They could hear the noise from the other side of the door where Quinn knew the E-deck was. The moment she shared with Rachel suddenly scared her out of her mind. They didn't have the time and yet they were taking it.

"Stand back, baby" she pushed Rachel out of the way before she held onto both sides of the rails and kicked the door right below the handle with all her force.

She wanted to smile at the way the door sprung open and pieces of wood flied out of the frame but fear was overtaking her and by the look on Rachel's face the brunette was having the same issue.

She took Rachel's hand and quickly pulled her out to the corridor where several people were running in different directions at once.

They saw the terror, the tears, the desperation in all of those faces and Quinn quickened her pace as well running down to where she knew the main stair was located.

They turned the corner and the amount of people gathered at the food of the stairs made them gasped. The gates were locked and several butlers were on the other side holding the gates that way.

Rachel was too quiet behind Quinn and the blonde could feel her shaking even harder than before and they were being locked down there like their lives didn't mean a thing.

Quinn groaned at the mere thought because she knew that some of them thought that that was actually the case.

"Now what?" Rachel's voice was broken while Quinn became more desperate to get her out of there.

"Here sweetheart" an old lady with a kind smile offered Rachel a blue blanket, "your lips are blue" the lady said before she left.

Quinn took the blanket from Rachel's hands and draped it around the girl's shoulders, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to give her some heat.

It was obvious that the gates weren't opening any time soon so Quinn turned around and looked left and right trying to remember her way around.

"Come on, this way" she took Rachel's hand and pulled her down again. All the doors that lead to the next floor were locked, all the gates were chained and Quinn tried to open every single one of them with no good luck.

"Fuck! Damn it!" she kicked the last gate with all her force. Rachel jumped slightly scared of the girl's outburst but she was more worried about her bleeding wrists than her rage. She knew that Quinn was growing desperate, she herself was feeling hopeless.

"Come on. I'm getting you out of this ship if it's the last thing I do" the blonde promised before pressing her lips on Rachel's for a needy kiss.

"Quinn?" the blonde jumped back when she heard her best friend's voice.

"Santana!" she hugged her friend without letting go of Rachel's hand.

Brittany and Holly were there too and they exchanged quick greetings before Quinn shook her head sadly.

"I've tried every single gate from this side" she informed them. Rachel kissed her shoulder blade and pressed the front of her body on Quinn's back if just to feel her close.

"The boats are all leaving" Santana desperately said. She'd heard it from a butler that was trapped down with the rest of them.

"We gotta get up there or we're gonna be gargling saltwater" Quinn said through greeted teeth.

"They keep saying that women can pass but it's a fucking lie!" Santana was raging or completely terrified. Quinn couldn't decide.

They made their way towards the main stairs again but the situation was pretty much the same.

"For the love of God, man, there are children down here! Let us up, so we can have a chance!"

The five women looked up when they heard a man shouting. They saw the butler nod his head and then he opened the gates but no matter how careful he tried to be everything became chaos.

Everyone pushed forward trying to pass, no one wanted to die that night. Quinn had to push a man from running into Rachel in his desperate spring and then she practically carried Rachel towards a safer zone to the left when she heard the shooting coming from upstairs.

They were shooting them as if they were criminals. They just wanted a chance to save their lives and they were being shot for Christ sake!

"Shit just got crazy" Santana's eyes were wide with fear as Brittany and Holly held hands.

"Whatever we do, we gotta do it now!" Quinn determinately said.

…

A sored Finn walked inside Rachel's suite and headed straight to the safe. He unlocked it and took the necklace out of the black box and put it into his coat pocket before stiffing the rest of his pockets with stacks of bills.

He locked the safe before wiping the remainder of his tears from his cheeks with the back of his hands. He couldn't believe Rachel. Was he not good enough for her? Did she think that he wasn't worth it?

It broke his heart to think about it and it angered him to no end because the whole situation was actually hurting him beyond belief and suddenly all he could think about was her safety. He wanted her to live another day more than anything.

He wanted to see her smile just one more time and he still wanted to marry her.

"I make my own luck" he said, finally turning around and pressing his hand to his chest pocket. William smirked at him pretending to not have seen him cry.

"So do I." He said as he showed Finn the gun stuffed on his belt around his waist.

Finn smiled despised himself thinking about how he was going to survive that night.

…

With Rachel's hand firmly held in her own, Quinn ran down the opposite way from where she had gone a few minutes ago. She was sure that she saw one more gate that way down. She needed to find it and soon.

They tried to ignore the catastrophe around but they couldn't. Several abandon children were crying as they pressed their little backs to the wall without a clue of what to do and even if the girls wanted to take them all they didn't know how or if their parents were looking for them. Everything was pure chaos.

Quinn's eyes wondered and she abruptly stopped when her eyes fell on a familiar innocent face.

"Sugar?" she called the little girl.

"Quinn!" the girl yelled as a river ran down her eyes and she ran into the blonde's arms. Her dress was wet and dirty, her knees bleeding, she had no coat on and she was obviously terrified and abandoned.

Rachel couldn't help it when she started to cry at the sight of the little girl that she had seen dancing with Quinn two nights ago.

Quinn picked the girl up in her arms and hugged her tight to her body. Sugar was shaking and she was so small and precious. Quinn couldn't think of anything else but safe this little girl.

"Sugar honey, where is daddy?" she softly asked but the girl was hiccupping as more tears fell down her dirty face. The group of women had their hearts on their throats as they took it all in.

"He… gone… Quinn… scared… don't… leave" a tear ran down Quinn's cheek as she shushed the girl and shared a look with the women around her.

"It's ok sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere without you. It's ok" she rubbed the girl's back soothingly.

She wasn't going to leave Sugar alone. There was just no way she'd do that.

She received four nods and then she reassumed her running down the large corridor.

They passed women crying on the floor to men fighting against each other, to families trying to go but not knowing which way.

Quinn turned a corner and she almost smiled when she saw a small group of people standing by the gate. A girl was sobbing on the floor as a young man tried to calm her down.

"Go to the main stairwell, with everyone else" she heard the butler speak from the other side of the gate "It'll all get sorted out there" she was done with this stupid behavior.

She had two girls to safe for fucks sake! She didn't need these penguins telling her otherwise.

She handed Sugar to a very shocked Rachel. The little girl wrapped her arms around her neck in a dead grip as Quinn walked straight to the gate.

"Open this gate" her voice was cold and tight, she didn't have the patience anymore.

"Go to the stairwell…" he started with his speech and Quinn lost it.

"God damn it, you son of a bitch! You open this gate right now!" the butler was shocked as was everyone else around her but she couldn't care less.

"Sir, you have to…"

"God damn it to Hell!" she punched the gates with her hands, the ends of the cuffs around her wrist hitting the metal.

Time was running out and they weren't exactly going to the fucking fair. Quinn wanted to live and more importantly she had two girls to safe.

She turned around looking for something when the butler just gave her a stern look. Her eyes landed on a bench bolted to the floor and without thinking twice she started to pull it. Two young guys jumped to help her quickly as Santana and Brittany moved the rest of the people out of the way when they realized what Quinn was going to do.

They had the bench lose in a matter of seconds and she locked eyes with the stupid butler as she yelled "Push!"

They practically ripped the gate open with two hits as the butler shouted at them for their misbehavior.

Filled with rage Quinn jumped over the bench and hit the butler with all her strength in his nose. He started to bleed almost instantly but before she could get another hit Santana held her hand and she turned around.

She was grateful for her best friend at that moment for stopping her from doing something stupid.

"Come here" she reached out and Sugar jumped in her arms. She held the girl in one arm and reached out to help Rachel with her free one.

They ran upstairs passing deck by deck in a hurry. Dozens of people were right behind them, everyone trying to save their lives.

Sugar screamed when the gunshots got too close. Quinn pushed Rachel back to the wall with force and pressed Sugar between the both of them to keep her safe as the gunshots kept going.

She looked to her right where Santana, Brittany and Holly were scrunch down to the floor as were the rest of the people down the corridor.

Quinn could hear her heart beating in her ears. She was shaking with adrenaline that wasn't necessarily good. The girl in her arms was sticking to her like she represented some kind of live safer and she figured that for Sugar, that was exactly what she was.

"It's chaos out there" Rachel softly said as she tried to breathe normally again. Quinn noticed that at least her lips weren't as blue as they were before.

"We're gonna make it" Quinn said surprising herself when she sounded so certain "Come on!" she took Rachel's hand again and ran up.

When they got to the A deck Quinn didn't see any boats and she ran faster. Panic was settling in as everyone's faces as third class passengers mixed with the first class ones.

"The boats are gone! They're gone!" a man shouted from far ahead.

Quinn stopped running and turned to see her friend's faces. Sugar was still crying on her shoulder and Rachel was suddenly shaking even harder. Santana and Brittany were holding hands.

"Where is Holly?" Quinn asked as the shouting grew louder and people ran faster by her side.

She looked down the path they'd just come from but it was impossible to look for Holly when there was a sea of scared people running towards them.

…


	10. Chapter 10

**Not without you**

Rachel dug her nails on Quinn's upper arm as she held on for dear life as Brittany cried and yelled her aunt's name among the several screams of panicked people.

A rocket exploded on the sky above and Quinn saw the shooting colors through Sugar's owed eyes. Her head snapped to the opposite side of the ship. Someone was throwing the rockets from that side which meant that members of the crew were still there and probably with available boats.

"Come quick" she said and pulled Rachel with her again.

"What about my aunt?" Brittany desperately called from the back, she didn't want to leave without Holly and it was completely understandable but Quinn knew that time was not on their side.

She looked for Santana's eyes and pleaded with her. Her best friend had tears in her eyes and was visibly shaking, she knew but it broke her heart to know that Holly had gone missing.

"Brittany we don't have time" Santana pleaded. The taller blonde was about to contradict her but two new gunshots stopped her.

Quinn started to move again and sure enough the girls followed her close behind. She pushed people around, stepped on foots and kicked a guy aside when he refused to move.

Truth was, she was completely terrified of not making it on time. She needed a boat and she needed it now. There was no longer consideration for anything when all the people around were fighting to stay alive as hard as she was.

Worse part was that she needed to stay focused while it all happened even if she wanted to panic and run without a care in the world which was pretty much what everybody was doing around her.

She didn't really know where exactly the boats were or if there were any boats left but she needed to get to the other side and see for herself.

"We're never gonna make it" Santana said. The crowd in front of them was extreme. There was no way that they could even attempt to step foot in there.

"You're right" she scanned the area quickly. There was a small balcony that had previously been part of the first class deck that was a good three food up in the air and it was much less crowded.

"Come with me" she gave Sugar to Santana as she pushed aside a group of young men standing right down the balcony.

The cuffs were grazing her skin roughly, the blood was still running out down her arms from her injured wrists but she still grabbed a hold of the rail of the balcony and lifted herself up with ease. She didn't know if she was actually strong enough for it or if it was just an adrenaline rush running through her arms at the moment but she was up and over the rail and a minute.

"Ok, come here baby. Take my hand" Rachel looked so small down there in the crowd and as soon as Quinn took her hand she pulled her up quickly and over the rail.

"Give her to me" Santana handed Sugar who stretched her arms until Quinn had a hold and then was lifted up over the rail.

"Take her" Sugar passed directly to Rachel's arms as the brunette looked everywhere. She rocked Sugar in her arms as the little brunette held on tighter to her neck. Both were terrified to the scene in front of them.

As Quinn helped Santana up she noticed with a wince that the crowd behind Brittany was quickly growing, probably because all the third class passengers were out of the E-deck by then.

When Santana was on the other side Brittany practically jumped to grab Quinn's hand and was lifted pretty quickly due to a new set of fear inserted in Quinn when several other women lifted their hands asking to be lifted as well.

"Quinn!" Sugar screamed when a new gunshot went out. Her arms were stretched towards the blonde as were the dozen or so down the rail.

Santana shook her head ever so slightly indicating her that no. It wasn't a matter of how many people they wanted to save because it was a matter of survival and Quinn wanted to help everyone but they didn't have the time.

"Come here" she took Sugar in her arms and Rachel's hand in the other. Santana was right but that didn't make it hurt any less.

Quinn was pretty sure that _that_ particular image, of all those women lifting their hands for her to help them, will hunt her for the rest of her life if she made it out of there alive.

Officers were shouting warnings for people to stay back but it was impossible to get through without having the guns being pointed at them which was exactly the case.

"Get back. Keep order!" an officer shouted as he pointed his gun towards every single guy that stood in front of him.

There were no more boats around and Quinn knew that that was their last shot and she pushed harder than before to pass through.

They could hear the water cascading inside the ship, the sound of windows exploding and doors breaking. Everyone knew that they were not far from the end but unfortunately not everyone knew where to run.

"Are there any more children? Step back!" the officer pointed his gun to another guy that tried to cross "Women and children only!"

"Over here!" Quinn shouted catching the officer's attention.

"Let him through!" he pointed his gun and the men parted to let the four women through.

Only nobody knew that Quinn was actually a girl beside Rachel and Santana.

Her entire body went cold at that realization.

"Women only mate" a man put his hand on Quinn's upper stomach preventing her from going any further even though she had Sugar on her hip.

"Om my God, Quinn!" Rachel's eyes went wide as did Santana's. The last officer that had discovered that Quinn wore men clothes had tried to shot her back in London a couple of weeks ago and the man that was standing before them was wearing the same uniform and had a gun in his hand.

"It's ok, it's ok. Keep moving" Quinn said but fear was quickly overtaking her as well.

"No. I'm not going without you" Rachel firmly said but Quinn only pressed her lips against hers as Brittany went on the boat and then helped Santana get in as well.

"Get in the boat, Rachel" she pleaded, tears already pooling in her eyes.

"No, I came back for you and I'm not leaving without you!"

"Then none of this was worth it!" Quinn shouted scaring Sugar in the process "Shh, I'm sorry baby. I'm not mad at you" she shushed the little girl.

"For Christ sake!" Rachel and Quinn turned around at once when they heard the voice. Finn stood there, eyes wide in shock as he took in the sight of his fiancée. "Look at you" he frowned.

Quinn shot him an incredulous look and he quickly composed himself.

"You have to get in the boat, Rachel" he agreed as Rachel gaped at him. Her chin started to shiver as the cold air winded her hair and Finn stepped closer to her.

"God" he gasped and took off the blanket of her shoulders and threw it on the ground before slipping off his coat and wrapping it around her shoulders instead. "This should keep you warm enough."

Rachel didn't have another choice but to slip her arms on the coat.

"Rachel baby, you need to get on the boat, now" Quinn said getting in between Finn and her lover.

"Come with me" the insinuation of what Rachel was saying was too much and Quinn refused to give it a thought. She was more afraid of getting a bullet in her skull for her sexual orientation than what could happen if she stayed in the ship for a little longer.

She was a survivor after all and by herself she knew that she'd do whatever it takes to make it out of there alive.

"I'll take the next one" she lied but Rachel didn't look convinced at all.

"Anyone else?" the officer's question was obviously directed at them.

"Quinn, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Santana glared at her best friend. She hadn't forgotten of the officers back in London but this was a different situation.

"Rachel, get in the boat" Quinn repeated.

"Please, Quinn" Rachel cried. She was squeezing the neck of Quinn's shirt begging her.

"I'll make it out, I promise" Quinn softly said. Finn's heart broke into a million different pieces at the display in front of him.

He always treaded Rachel like a business, like something that he needed to have in order to look the right part in their society but as he stood there he realized that his feelings towards the girl went beyond everything he's been told to feel.

He really loved her and all he wanted was for her to be safe even if her eyes were set on another man. His body tensed when he saw the love and devotion in her eyes directed at someone that wasn't him.

He swallowed down the pain and forced himself to look unaffected by the way that Quinn's hand graced Rachel's cheek as he asked her to get on the boat.

"I have a deal with an officer" he softly said effectively pulling their attention towards him, "he'll let me get on a boat and I'll make sure that Quinn comes too."

He didn't know how honest he was at that moment, there was a deal with someone but Finn didn't know if he was actually capable of bringing Quinn along with him.

Rachel looked uncertain so he offered her a small smile. "We'll be alright. Hurry up so Quinn and I can catch our boat."

Rachel's eyes locked with Quinn's one more time but the blonde was staring at Finn's face. She wasn't a genius but she knew what he was doing so she got along with it because it seemed like Finn and she actually agreed on something for once.

"See?" she nodded and pushed Rachel slightly forward "We'll be alright, I'll see you in a little bit."

Rachel stared confused as Quinn passed Sugar to an equally confused Santana. Quinn hugged her and closing her eyes she kissed the top of Rachel's head. She inhaled deeply in the scent that was Rachel and then the brunette was stepping on the boat; they were still holding hands as Rachel got in the boat and they didn't let go until they couldn't anymore.

It was all a blur for Rachel. Brittany was still crying and murmuring her aunt's name under her breath, Santana was trying to calm Sugar because the girl was sobbing and asking why Quinn wasn't there with them.

She looked around at unfamiliar faces of women and children, all of them were crying because they've left someone behind.

"You're a good liar" Finn said as he and Quinn looked down at the descending boat and Rachel's confused face.

"Almost as good as you" Quinn's voice quivered. It wasn't a sign of weakness Finn noticed, but of feeling. His throat was also closing at the sight of the girl he obviously loved. The only difference was that he refused to let it show while Quinn's eyes watered without a care in the world.

He envied him for that.

He looked down and found Rachel's face contorting in pain as she stared at Quinn and what she was leaving behind.

There was no doubt that she loved Quinn and that hurt his ego on a whole new level and he turned to look at the blonde.

"I always win, Quinn. One way or another I always end up on top."

Quinn saw his smirk and felt sorry for him but at the same time she questioned everything she'd done. She was happy that Rachel was safe but now that she was actually leaving she wondered if they'll ever see each other again.

Finn took Quinn's silence as a sign of defeat ignoring the worry and uncertainty in the blonde's eyes.

"Pity I didn't keep that drawing. It's going to be worth a lot more by morning" he smiled mockingly.

She looked down again and met Rachel's eyes. She'd done so much for Rachel in the past four days and received more than she had ever expected in return. She had fallen in love; she'd been happy, honest and completely devoted to Rachel for the last four days.

So maybe if Finn found the way to end with her life that night, it'll be ok because she'd fallen in love and that person had loved her back just as much. She had lived and experience love and as Rachel's boat kept going down she stared at her not wanting to lose a single second of her until the last moment.

A small and sweet smile appeared on Quinn's lips and suddenly Rachel couldn't see or hear anything going on around her. Her eyes locked with Quinn's hazel ones. The girl looked like an angel standing there as another rocket exploded up in the sky behind her.

Her heart was breaking at the sight of a tearful Quinn, the pain almost consumed her as she realized that there was no life out there waiting for her if Quinn was staying in that ship.

She stood up at once and before Santana or Brittany could react she jumped to the A deck promenade.

"Rachel! No, Rachel! NO!" Quinn screamed when she saw Rachel jumping out of the lifeboat. Her heart stopped as the girl was clinging on the edge. Her tears fell down her cheeks at full speed out of fear of the girl falling.

Finn stood completely shocked as Quinn ran down the deck and Rachel was pulled inside the Titanic again by some men. He shook his head and after a moment he followed Quinn.

Quinn pushed the doors to the foyer open and ran down the stairs. She was frantically looking for Rachel through the crowd.

She let out a sigh of relieve when she spotted the brunette running towards her with the same speed, tears running down her beautiful smiling face.

Their bodies crashed together as Quinn picked Rachel up in her arms and peppered her face with small kisses.

"Rachel, you're so stupid, so so so stupid" each word was accentuated with a kiss as Quinn cupped her face to look into her eyes.

Rachel was shaking, probably because of the rush of adrenaline that had make her take such a decision but Quinn still hugged her tight and rubbed her clothed arms with her hands.

"Why would you do that?" she asked as Rachel's hands squeezed her shirt to keep Quinn as close as she could.

Rachel's chin shook as a smile formed in her lips, her eyes never leaving Quinn's.

"You jump, I jump, right?" she retorted as Quinn fell in love all over again. She had practically already accepted her faith by putting Rachel on that boat, she had giving up her life for her without any regrets but here was Rachel doing the very same thing for her.

Words avoided her at that moment, her eyes watered and her chest tightened. The love she felt for Rachel was too big that her heart seemed to be breaking at the very feel of it.

She picked the girl up again in her arms and kissed her eagerly.

She kissed her fervently.

She kissed her forcefully.

She kissed her because the words 'I love you' didn't feel like enough.

"Right" she whispered against the brunette's lips, their lips tickled when she spoke and she pecked Rachel's lips again.

Finn stood motionless by the railing. He had felt his heart breaking twice already that night but as he stood there, eyes locked with the scene of Rachel kissing Quinn like that, his heart wasn't the only thing that hurt.

It was like someone had kicked him in the gut, he couldn't breathe easily, he was gasping for air. His lungs burnt and his legs were seconds away from giving up.

For the first time the need to fall on the ground and cry enveloped him like never before.

He felt weak.

But he couldn't and he wouldn't do that. Not that day, not ever.

He felt someone pulling him back, the hands that grabbed his shoulders were strong but his eyes couldn't leave the sight of Rachel being so intimate with someone else.

He hated Quinn, he hated him with a fervent passion. If he weren't in the picture then Rachel would have been his and his only.

"Come on" he heard William said and pull harder on his shoulders. He looked up at the man that had been with him for years and without thinking about it he reached out to grab the gun from inside his coat and ran down the stairs.

Quinn kissed Rachel one more time before she opened her eyes and heard a woman screaming up the stairs and Finn holding a gun in his hand as he sprinted down the stairs towards them.

"Oh shit" Quinn gasped as her eyes met his and he raised the gun towards her. Rachel followed her line of sight just as Quinn pulled her down to a new flight of stairs.

"You bastard!" screamed Finn in rage as he fired, Quinn barely missing the shot as she scrunched down in her hurry to run down the stairs and protect Rachel.

They got to another deck but Finn was still chasing them. He fired again and Rachel screamed as Quinn pulled her down another flight of stairs.

"Come on!" Quinn called when Rachel tripped and a new bullet flew right in front of her eyes, barely missing her for the second time.

Insanity had finally claim Finn's mind it seemed. Rachel couldn't believe what was happening. She was certain that Finn didn't love her but she never thought that he'd try to kill her before someone else claimed her heart the way Quinn had.

They ran down another flight of stairs and Rachel watched in horror at the flooded floor but Finn fired the gun again and they were forced to keep running right into the water.

The ship was slightly tilted and as they ran forward it got easier to run without all the water around their legs.

Another bullet ripped through a window as Finn jumped in the water and fired the gun accidentally without aim.

Quinn and Rachel got to dry footing as they ran up the dinning salon faster and without looking back.

Finn pulled the trigger twice more but the gun was out of bullets. A single tear ran down his cheek as he looked forward but Quinn and Rachel were gone and he had no bullets left.

"Enjoy your time together!" he screamed but it was fair obvious that no one could hear him by then.

He felt cold and looked down to find out that he was immersed in the water. He splashed to the stairs again, scared out of his mind. He hadn't even realized that he was in the water in his chaise for revenge.

Then a thought hit him and he touched the pocket of his coat. He started to laugh without any real humor.

"What could possibly be so funny?" William asked as he joined him in the stairs. Finn looked up at him with rage flushing in his dark eyes.

"I put the diamond in my coat pocket" he spoke through greeted teeth "And I put my coat on her!"

Before William could voice his opinion Finn jumped back. The water splashed around him widely as he tried to catch up with the couple.

Finn wasn't going to let Rachel run away with a piece of his fortune to be with another man, that was for sure.

Quinn came to a stop in the center of the dining salon; her back pressed against two wide columns and with Rachel pressed against her chest tightly. They were shaking and Rachel's chin had gone back to shiver in full force. That fact wasn't changing any time soon, Quinn noticed.

"I can't hear anything anymore" Rachel whispered but Quinn was pretty sure that she heard the water splashed.

"Shh" she shushed the girl and tried to listen more intently. There was another splash in the water and she eyed the place quickly, looking for something that could help them defend themselves since Finn had stopped shooting, she assumed that he was out of bullets.

She spotted lots of champagne glasses behind the bar and figured that a knife must be behind as well.

She put her finger on her lips, silently telling Rachel to keep quiet. The shorter girl gave a scared nod and Quinn peeked from around the column before she pulled Rachel behind her as she made a spring towards the bar.

She pushed Rachel to sit on the ground as she searched for a knife or anything that could help really.

Heavy footsteps were heard and Rachel pulled Quinn hard to the floor beside her and there, just underneath a few broken glasses was a set of knifes spread around the floor.

Quinn grabbed two and gave one to Rachel as the footsteps grew louder.

Rachel looked more than terrified; the knife in her hand shook with violence while Quinn hopped that they wouldn't need to use them.

Finn realized with shame that he didn't have any bullets left in the gun but he also knew that Quinn was a rather small boy to fight so he was confident that he could take him down. His fists clenched on his sides at the picture of hitting the boy square in the face repeatedly.

He moved behind some tables, his eyes wide open in search and even though he couldn't hear or see anything he knew that they were in the room and he was going to find them.

Quinn lifted the large knife towards her eyes and then moved it slowly to the right using it as a mirror. She saw Finn looking for them underneath the tables before he started to move to the left. He wasn't holding a gun.

The blonde turned to Rachel and kissed her lips softly, if only to try to calm her a little bit. It worked. The brunette stared at her and Quinn caressed her cheek before motioning with her head to the right.

There was a door on the corner and with luck they'd get there before Finn found them. Quinn pointed to the door and Rachel quickly catch on and nodded her head.

Quinn started to crawl towards the exit with Rachel behind her and soon enough they made it out of the salon in silence.

Finn realized that the water was following him fast and the salon was going to be flooded in the next few minutes. The staircase was starting to submerge and the entire reception area was flooded as well.

Was a diamond really worth his life? No, it wasn't. But hitting Quinn and show Rachel that he was a better man in every way was.

"What are we going to do?" Rachel's voice was slightly calmer but Quinn didn't have an answer for her question.

They were hiding in a small space between the door and an entrance to a lower deck main for service. Quinn could hear the water running in that corridor and she didn't want to take Rachel through that route but if Finn didn't leave that was their only way to get out, _if_ they made it out.

"Stay here" she kissed Rachel's temple before untangling herself from her hold and step back inside the salon.

"No, wait!" Rachel tried to call her back but Quinn had already walked inside the salon.

Quinn saw Finn scrunched down next to a few tables and by the corner of her eyes she saw William splashing his way towards the salon. The ship was sinking fast and she quietly made her way back to where Rachel was when she saw the gun in William hand.

"Shit" Rachel was already by her side "William is coming."

Rachel's eyes widen and she nodded slowly at first and then with a little bit more confidence.

"Come on" she grabbed Rachel's hand and lead her downstairs to where she could still hear the water run.

As soon as Finn looked up William signaled him to keep quiet as he pointed to the back door behind the bar. Finn nodded and quietly followed William.

Quinn hissed when the cold water touched her skin and held Rachel's hand as the girl walked by her side. The deck was about a foot deep so it was still manageable to walk out but she couldn't see a single way out.

"Oh my God, Quinn" Rachel gasped as she saw a little boy standing against the wall, crying and completely alone. The kid looked terrified as he looked at the water swirling around his little legs, he was visibly shaking.

Quinn looked up the stairs and when she saw a shadow coming down she pulled at Rachel's hand knowing well that William and Finn weren't coming down for a chat but Rachel pulled her right back with force.

"We can't leave him" she said and as soon as Quinn followed her line of sight she thought the same.

She nodded at Rachel and let go of her hand to go and pick up the boy who cried harder when she saw the blonde getting closer to him. He shook his head and didn't want to go but he was barely three years old so Quinn picked him up and hugged him against her chest.

About then feet away from where she just picked up the boy was a door holding back water and Quinn turned around as fast as she could but she stopped abruptly when she saw William holding Rachel and Finn walking towards her with a gun in his hand.

Her eyes searched frantically for Rachel's as anger boiled inside of her.

"Oh look!" Finn exclaimed in fake excitement as he pointed his gun towards the blonde.

Quinn turned to the right, trying to protect the child in her arms from the aiming gun.

"The thief is also a hero" Finn laughed just as Quinn saw a single tear roll down Rachel's cheek.

"Finn, please" the brunette begged but Finn waved the gun in the air, "it's me who you're mad at" she cried and Quinn's heart broke as the door behind her roared. Quinn knew that the wood wouldn't hold back the water for long.

"No" she said and put the crying boy on the floor. The kid just ran to stand against the wall again "It's gonna be ok, Rachel" her voice cracked as she took a step closer to Finn, accepting her faith.

"No!" Rachel yelled when Finn raised his gun a little more determine to point right at Quinn and William squeezed her arms roughly when she tried to move forward.

Rachel started at the blonde as tears ran down her face, she couldn't see it. She wouldn't be able to live without her.

"I love you" Quinn said just as Finn fired the gun.

…


	11. Chapter 11

**I trust you.**

The bullet ripped through the wood making the doors burst open and a torrent of water poured down the stairs like a thunder.

Finn stared in shock as Quinn ran towards him and pushed him with all her force against the wall as Rachel bit William's hand and managed to untangle herself from his hold.

"Come on!" Quinn took her hand and pulled her towards another corridor to the left as the water flooded behind them. Quinn pulled her around another corridor and luckily to some stairs but before they could take a step to cross the corridor the water catch up to them and flooded so incredibly fast that in a matter of seconds the water was up to their chests and running with fury.

"Quinn!" Rachel screamed in fear when the force of the water pulled her down the corridor but the blonde was quick to grab a hold of her arm.

"I won't let go. Come on!" she pulled the girl with all her force and pushed Rachel to the other side of the corridor to get her across.

The water was up to their necks when they stood on that first stair only to be met with a locked iron gate.

"No, no, no" Quinn tried to open the gates with force but they weren't budging. She kicked the iron bars out of desperation as Rachel eyed the water rapidly pooling around their feet and ankles.

As Quinn gripped the bars a terrified butler ran down the other side of the gate trying to escape.

"Wait! Wait!" Quinn called making the man stopped and looked back.

He saw the young couple behind the bars completely wet and desperate and he couldn't turn around and just leave "Help us! Please, unlock the gates" the blonde one begged.

He wanted to run away because the water was pooling so fast around them: They didn't have the time and he was about to turn around and run but their arms were reaching out and they were begging him to help.

"Help us! Please!" the brunette begged and he remember the girl from the A deck and how she was always so nice to him. He couldn't just leave.

The water was up to their waists when the butler finally pulled out a key chain and started to fumble through the keys.

His hands were shaking violently as he searched and the water was quickly rising.

"Come on, hurry" Quinn said as the lights shorted out.

"Hurry, please" Rachel was on the edge of tears again and suddenly the keys dropped from the man's hands.

Quinn's eyes widen as he looked at them sympathetically before he turned around and left them there without utter a single word.

"No, no wait. Come back!" Rachel shouted but Quinn quickly took a deep breath and got into the water to retrieve the keys.

She couldn't see anything, the force of the water was too strong and she was gripping the side bar with her fist as she stretched her free arm ahead trying to find the key chain.

When she finally found it she stood up quickly. The water was up to their chests and going up faster than before by that point.

"Which one is it, Rachel?"

"The small silver one, try that one" Rachel was shaking as Quinn found the key and lowered her arm in search of the keyhole.

"Hurry, Quinn" the water was almost on their chins but the key kept slipping and it was incredibly hard to try to guess where to put it exactly.

"Hurry" Rachel was beyond desperate. She raised her chin in the air to keep the water out of her mouth.

"Almost got it" Quinn rushed out as the key slipped in and after forcing it a couple of times it finally turned "Got it, got it!" she pushed the doors open just as the water covered their faces.

Quinn pulled Rachel across the corridor and up the stairs that the butler had run a minute ago and they finally made it to dry landing one more time.

But there was no time to say a single word as the ship groaned furiously and they ran up the stairs as fast as they could.

"Wait, wait" Rachel stopped abruptly and Quinn turned around with questioning eyes but she caught sight of Mr. Chang standing in front of the fireplace in the empty and destroyed saloon.

Without letting go of Quinn's hand Rachel got closer to the man that had help her earlier.

"Mr. Chang?" she called and he looked at her with a defeated smile adorning his face and she instantly knew that he had given up.

"Won't you even make a try for it, Mr. Chang?" he shook his head and tried to smile again but he couldn't do it, not even for one last time.

His eyes fell on the blonde boy holding Rachel's hand and his heart ached because he had put them in that situation. He had built the ship that was currently sinking. He had ended with hundreds of lives that night. He didn't deserve to live.

"I'm sorry" he said as he took his own lifebelt from a table behind him and offered it to the young lady "I'm sorry that I didn't built you a stronger ship, Rachel" his voice broke and tears fell down his cheeks.

Quinn heard the water running, following them and it started to pool around the entrance of the salon so fast and angry that her eyes widen and she pulled Rachel's hand gently.

"It's going fast, we've got to keep moving" her words cut into Rachel as she took the lifebelt from Chang's hands and hugged him tightly before letting go.

"Good luck, Rachel. I know that you'll make it" he whispered and Rachel's tears fell as well.

"Good luck to you too" she said before Quinn pulled her harder and took her out of the saloon through the revolving door.

….

The upper deck was full unleashed chaos. People were running in different directions looking for the boats that were no longer on the ship.

The Captain stared in horror as women and children cried around him and there was nothing that he could do anymore to save anyone.

He refused to take a lifebelt from a young butler and instead walked inside the wheelhouse and closed the door. He knew that it was his last trip but he never thought that's was how it'd end. He was sixty five; his life was almost done but all the people in the ship, all the younger officers under his care. Everything seemed like too much and he let out a deep breath before he punched the wheel with force.

….

Mr. Chang stood in front of the fireplace both disappointed in him and scared to death for what was coming. He pulled out his pocket watch to look at the time. Two and twelve minutes in the morning. It had gone way faster than he expected it to. He felt like crying when the desperate need to save his own life enveloped him but he shook his head and adjusted the time in the mantle clock instead. He was going down with his ship.

….

Santana's tears ran quietly down her face as she held a crying Sugar in her arms and held Brittany's hand with her own, her eyes fixed on the sinking ship in front of her.

She was scared to death for her best friend's life, for Holly's and Rachel's. Would they make it?

She tore her eyes away from the ship and chastised herself for asking such a stupid question.

She could hear the screams of agony, of people completely terrified. She could smell the death in the cold air.

_Have a little faith_, she thought but what was in front of her eyes made it hard to have faith in anything that night.

She was safe and Quinn had saved her, Quinn had guided her to that boat. Quinn had picked up Sugar when she was completely abandoned and Santana would make sure to keep Sugar safe for the rest of her life if it was the last thing she did.

….

The Captain stood with his head resting on the wheel as he cried until he heard the roaring of the large windows, he looked up to find the water completely enclosing the wheelhouse. He nodded to himself and raised his chin in the air before the windows exploded under the pressure and the water stormed inside with shards of glass slamming into his skin.

…

They finally made it to the A-deck only to be met with a bigger crowd than before. Quinn pushed people aside while keeping Rachel pinned to her body as she made her way to the rails and climbed a couple to see that the bridge of the ship was already underwater.

Time was against them.

"It's chaos" she said to Rachel and took the lifebelt from her hands before taking off her coat before putting the lifebelt on Rachel's body and tighten it with force, making sure that it was safely attached to Rachel's torso.

Rachel didn't say anything as Quinn put the coat around her shoulders again.

The blonde looked into Rachel's fearful eyes before she kissed the girl with a burning passion. She had said the words and she was sure that Rachel heard them and even if the girl wasn't saying anything back just yet, Quinn knew that the feeling was returned by the way those big and expressive eyes were looking at her.

Rachel cupped Quinn's face and kissed her one more time before a group of people started shouting and pushing towards them with force, effectively breaking the somewhat romantic moment.

"Okay" Quinn kissed her forehead before taking her hand again "We have to move fast. We have to stay on the ship as long as possible."

When they got to the edge of the rail of the upper A deck Quinn grabbed Rachel's hands and lowered her to the lower level using all her strength.

With people running and shouting desperately around her Rachel fell down scaring herself for a terrifying second as she stared at the dozens of shoes around her ready to crash her down but Quinn was by her side immediately and pulling her to her feet and close to her body to keep her safe again.

Suddenly they were in the middle of the crowd, scratching, pushing, clawing and forcing their way to the back of the ship, which was the only way they could go in order to have a chance.

Quinn had to help Rachel up another set of rails in order to keep advancing and lowered her with care when they managed to get to other side.

The crowd was in frenzy, the look in people's faces was lost and to their right just a few feet away from them on the rail dozens of people were jumping into the water.

Rachel shuddered at the thought as Quinn watch with wide eyes imagining the kind of pain that the fall alone would have to be. The ship was immense; the high from the rail to the ocean was enough to ensure that the fall feel like a crash against concrete.

As another wave of panicking folks pushed them forwards the Titanic groaned in agony making everyone's heart stop and at the same time push with more force, then the floor shuddered harshly and Rachel sunk her nails on Quinn's arms to stabilized herself as the blond pulled the smaller girl closer to her and focused on pushing forwards at the same time.

Rachel saw with a pang of guilt as Quinn's eyes became frantic as she pulled her petite form strongly and up the deck. She eyed around her where hundreds of people had the same look in their eyes as they tried to run somewhere.

She noticed with mild relieve that Quinn's eyes had determination in them as everyone else' just showed panic and lost.

…

Sugar was whimpering softly on Santana's shoulder as they watch the ship of dreams succumb in slow motion. They could hear the screams of agony and the groans of the ship every time something new broke, they could see the tiny figures falling from the rails and everyone knew exactly what they were but no one dared to utter a single word.

A whip like sound made her eyes stare more intently and she saw with wide eyes as the three cables holding one of the funnels onto place snapped and then the giant funnel fell in slow motion crashing so many people down and then the splash of water turned two boats that were still a little too close to the ship.

An involuntary shudder ran through her body and she wrapped her arms a bit tightly around the little girl sitting on her lap.

Tears started to fall down her cheeks one more time. Her best friend was still on that ship, for all Santana knew Quinn could have been crashed by the giant funnel and the thought alone broke her heart to a million pieces.

…

Hundreds of people were trying to get on the boats that turned around when the funnel fell as bodies floated around them and a torrent of violent water poured inside the ship where the rest of the passenger were still fighting their way out.

Large windows exploded with the pressure of the water and pieces of glass ripped through the less fortunes ones as part of the few that had manages to remain alive and outside were dragged inside the middle of the ship with the stream.

Children cried as they look everywhere for their parents, others tried to swim out but with no luck and a few had simply gave up on trying and were impatiently waiting for their end.

The angry ocean did not disappoint as it poured wildly inside and sucked everyone down with it.

On the main saloon people were distressed and panic quickly grew incessant when the glass dome groaned and creaked and mere seconds later exploded inwards.

The fine candelabras, the perfect wood, the first class diplomats along with their wives disappeared under the torrent.

…

Quinn pulled Rachel up the tilting deck with strength she didn't know she possessed but was glad for at the moment. Hundreds of people kept slipping and falling on their back but not Quinn and because of her, either Rachel.

In a sheer moment of panic a struggling men grabbed Rachel forearm to prevent from falling. Panicked, Quinn turned around at Rachel's scream and without taking a second to consider the situation she punched the man square in the nose sending the man backwards and rolling down the deck.

"Did he hurt you?" she cupped Rachel's face with her free hand and inspected the girl's body before kissing her forehead and wrapping a secure arm around her lower back and pulling her tightly against her body.

"I'm alright," Rachel assured her and caressed the blonde's face before Quinn kissed her thumb and smile tightly before she started to walk up again, this time with Rachel completely flushed against her. It was a bit harder to move but she had the girl close and she preferred it that way.

The screams were closer then as people kept jumping of the rails, some of the screams could be heard until they tainted away but others stopped abruptly by a thud and both girls knew that they were hitting the debris of the ellipses on their way down, a faster and more painful death for sure.

The ship kept tilting as they tried to get closer to the aft, the angle increasing as Quinn held onto the rail and pulled herself and Rachel up.

"Come on, baby. Just a little bit more," she encouraged the girl as she tried to run soothing circles with her thumb on her back at the same time. She really hated to see that look of desperation settling in Rachel's eyes.

"Just a little bit more," she could see the aft and the people holding onto its rails for dear life as Rachel focused her attention of the kneeling crowd around a pipe and every single men and women clinging to whatever they could find.

The Father was praying loudly and believers raised their voices to join him, some sobbing, some crying and some simply silenced , defeated.

Quinn couldn't believe what she was seeing, they could be trying, they could be running, looking for a way to safe themselves but they have simply given up.

She couldn't picture herself giving up, not when she had Rachel in her arms. Not when she had something to live for.

"Quinn," Rachel's tone was unsure as the blond turned to look at her without stopping her feet.

"I'm getting you out of this ship."

More than a promise it was a statement, she was not going to let the girl she loved die.

"We have to go faster, baby. Walk faster for me, yeah?" Rachel nodded and pushed herself forward just as a young girl fell and crashed on Quinn's chest pulling the air out of her.

Surprisingly enough, she didn't lose her balance and even managed to help the girl on her feet before gently pushing her forward.

Rachel took in the girl's lost and grateful eyes, she was completely alone and would have fallen down the deck if she hadn't met Quinn midway.

As the angle of the ship kept increasing it was becoming more and more difficult to walk up and it was moving faster than before, the weight of the front of the ship was becoming too much.

Quinn let out a soft sigh when she saw the railing and as she wrapped her arm a bit tighter around Rachel's waist she lunged forward, effectively hugging one of the rails with her free hand where more people were also holding onto.

Rachel also hugged one of the rails and as her eyes moved fanatically from one place to another she realized that they were exactly at the same place where Quinn had saved her life for the first time.

A feeling of nostalgia and happiness settled on her chest and she couldn't help when a smile appeared on her lips and she turned to face the girl that had stolen her heart in only four days.

Quinn was staring at her with devotion in her eyes; if she was facing her end she was glad that at least she was going to be with Rachel until the very moment when she greeted death.

"God, you are so beautiful," Quinn said as she got closer to Rachel and kissed her softly on the lips before another man pushed her from behind as he almost fell of the rail.

"Sorry, folk" he apologized as Quinn let go of the death like grip that she had hold Rachel close when she was pushed forward.

"No worries," she dismissed him and pulled Rachel closer with a sure hold on her hip. "We're alright, we're going to be just fine" she said as she looked deeply into Rachel's dark eyes.

The brunette gasped in surprised when the lights flickered and for a single second they faced darkness in its full but with a groan so loud from the middle of the ship the lights went back on.

Families, lovers and friends were around them and Rachel gasped in horror when she recognized Tina, her maid a few feet from where she was holding onto the rail but she didn't have a chance to say a word before Tina slipped and fell down the deck. Rachel closed her eyes and buried her face in the blonde's chest as she tried to erase the image of her maid sliding down to her sure dead.

"Shhh," Quinn shushed her and kissed her forehead "it's going to be alright, we're going to be alright."

The cold air was starting to really get them as they stared down at the chaos in front of them.

The ship tilted even more to a vertical form, Quinn could hear the sound of heavy furniture breaking into pieces through the screams of desperate hundreds.

More people was starting to lose their grips, she could see the splashing of water hundreds of feet away from her as many people swam to get back on the ship because no one knew what to do, there was nothing but the endless ocean around them and the only place that could provide some kind of safety was still the sinking ship.

She tighten her grip around the smaller girl as she saw countless of young girls slide down the wood and hit the rails breaking their arms, their legs, some dying from the impact alone.

It was a petrifying view to behold.

Her body started to shook violently as the adrenaline worn out and she was glad that Finn had put his fancy coat on Rachel's delicate shoulders one more time.

Rachel cupped Quinn's face with her cold hand and run a finger on her trembling lips before she united their lips in a sweet kiss and for a moment she allowed herself to dream, to hope for a tomorrow where she and Quinn would be alright and in a warm bed as it was supposed to be.

…

Terri saw with dismay at the sight in front of her, she could see the bodies falling down of the aft of the ship and the screams were only getting louder. It was the biggest catastrophe in history, she was sure of it.

Shelby sat motionless with her eyes trained on the Titanic, the ship that was supposed to give her a new life, the ship that was supposed to be a new and better start now only reminded her of everything she'd lost.

She'd never see her daughter again because Rachel was probably dead by then.

As her lips trembled the tears started to fall down her cheeks, she had been so unfair with her little girl, she had pushed her away, she had made her the owner of their misfortunes and was even willing to sell her like a piece of meat for money, for social status, for a life that was never theirs in the first place.

She regretted it all then as she stared with pained eyes at the sinking ship.

"God almighty" Terri whispers as Shelby's eyes unfocused once again.

…

It was becoming more and more difficult to stay on the rail but Quinn was doing a fine job at holding both her and Rachel tightly attached to it as they watched panicking people jump from rail.

Their screams could be heard so loud that Rachel was sure she'll remembered them for the rest of her life if she lived another day.

Some people collide with the propellers and the smack that their bodies make when they impact the metal is mortal and sickening to their guts.

Quinn saw the fire erupt in the middle of the ship and suddenly the lights went off, she knew that they wouldn't be coming back this time.

For a mortifying second everyone stayed silent as the ship creaked and groaned and it didn't take long before they all knew what was happening.

Quinn's eyes widen and pulled Rachel's face to the safety that was her chest as she observed the ship cracked in half, literally swallowing whoever was around the specific area. A thunder resounded all along and suddenly the screams came back louder than before.

"What's happening?" Rachel asked but didn't dare to look up, instead she gripped Quinn's shirt with force.

"The ship is splitting in half," Quinn explained as she kept watching the people fall down the crack without a chance to run or safe their lives.

An explosion took place and fire raised so up before the ship gave in and finally cracked and fell with unbelievable force down.

Rachel screamed as did everyone else and suddenly the air left their bodies as the ship hit the ocean with brutal strength and water splashed up so high.

Quinn felt her chest being pressed down, for a moment it was like they were flying until they crashed but the nauseating image of the people that have been swimming right under them wasn't leaving her mind and probably never will.

With difficulty Quinn stayed hold onto the rail and Rachel. For a moment everything seemed peaceful and some even smiled thinking that the worst had passed.

"Are we saved?" Rachel asked with hope lacing her voice.

"Not even close, princess" Quinn grimaced at the thought of what was to come.

The ship had literally broken in half, it was only a matter of second before the Titanic would be vertically and sinking faster in the water.

Just as she predicted the ship shrieked and trembled under them before it started to tilt ever so slightly at first.

Quinn's heart was pumping as fast as it could go as her mind raced searching for a solution until her eyebrows knit together and she let go of Rachel as she pulled herself up on her knees and looked both ways.

It wasn't going to take long before the ship was under water, probably five or ten minutes at most.

People started to slide more easily after having trust in fake hope and screams and sobs were suddenly back at its full force.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked as she gripped the rails harder.

"We have to move," Quinn said as she stood up and pulled herself up and over the rail with ease as Rachel stared with wide and fearful eyes.

"Come here, baby" she didn't wait for an answer as she grabbed both of Rachel's arms and pulled the girl up as if she was a ragdoll.

When Rachel was secure on the other side the ship was already vertical and people were practically hanging of every little corner on the deck, the rest was sliding down and getting lost in the water.

Quinn kissed the girl's head and closed her eyes as she breathed her in. She needed Rachel to be alright, she needed her to live.

"Quinn?" the brunette called and Quinn smiled sadly at the girl as she tried her best to remain positive.

"What is it, baby?" she asked trying to ignore the yells and pleads for help.

"This is where we first met," she remembered and smiled a trembling smile as Quinn hugged her close and she nuzzled her face in the blonde's neck and Quinn kissed the top of her head.

"I know," she whispered as the ship stopped moving all together. The people that didn't climb over with them suddenly start to let go, one by one they watch them fall down into their deaths.

They looked terrified as did everyone else beside them and suddenly the ship groaned for one last time as it started to flood from the very down.

They were going down with the ship straight up and Quinn jumped to her feet realizing what was about to happen.

She was a good swimmer and hoped that Rachel was one as well, she needed her to be.

"Rachel, baby. I need you to listen to me and follow my instructions, got it?" she asked as Rachel quickly nodded her head, determined to do whatever Quinn instructed her to do.

"Take a deep breath when I tell you and hold it right before we go into the water, ok?"

"Ok" Rachel accepted as Quinn planted a kiss to the top of her head again.

"The ship will suck us down with it so I need you to kick for the surface and keep kicking, alright?" she shook the brunette by the shoulders as to try to make her point across, "Do not let go of my hand. We're gonna make it Rachel, I know we will. Trust me."

"I trust you," was Rachel's quick response as Quinn smashed her lips against hers and kissed her with all she got.

They looked down where the water was getting closer and closer by the second, hundreds of bodies around them were being dragged down with the suction of the water as the air got more windy and cold as they neared the dark ocean.

Quinn pulled Rachel up to her feet and grabbed a hold of Rachel's life vest with force before the water touched their feet and without looking away from those chocolate eyes that had stolen her heart she pulled the girl as close as she could.

"Now!" she screamed and both took a deep breath as the water engulfed them and sucked them down like a violent torrent without end.

The streams of water were hitting in all directions with force but Quinn managed to sick her arms around the strains of Rachel's live-vest as they kicked strongly for the surface.

But it wasn't enough and suddenly a rather strong stream hit her in the face making her arms slipped from its hold and pulling her away from the brunette.

Panic rose immediately in her chest as she watched Rachel's face disappear between the rest of the swimmers around. She was trying desperately to get out of the stream and swim back but she couldn't and before she knew it she emerged to the surface.

"Rachel!" she screamed looking everywhere, "Rachel! Rachel!" but her yells were barely audible among the hundreds of yells that were occurring around her.

"Rachel! Rachel!"

…


	12. Chapter 12

**Get up here!**

Quinn swam as fast as she could, pushing forcefully at anyone who was on her way. Her heart was thundering inside her chest as fear of losing the girl that she loved became more and more real with every passing second.

Death bodies were everywhere she looked, little boys and girls and well as drawn babies were everywhere and desperate survivors that didn't know where to go, where to look, where to yell for help. They were abandoned in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

She kept swimming as fast as she could to the direction that she believed Rachel would have surfaced.

"Rachel!" she screamed again as she pushed another shocked officer out of her way.

She stayed frozen in place as she realized that it was impossible to look, everyone was yelling and everyone was trying to find someone. They were hundreds of swimmers.

"Rachel!" she yelled again as she reassumed swimming, she couldn't give up, she wouldn't. "Rachel!"

"Quinn!" she heard the muffle cry for help and swam in the direction of the girl's voice.

"Rachel!" she called again.

"Quinn!" she saw the girl swimming towards her and stayed until reaching out her arms until Rachel was hugging her with unbelievable force.

Both girls had thought that they wouldn't see each other again. Those had been the five most terrifying minutes of their young lives.

"Swim, baby. I need you to swim" Quinn asked her once they let go of their embrace.

Quinn didn't know exactly what she was going to do but she knew that she needed to get Rachel out of the chaos and look for something to hold on to until the boats came back to get them.

People tried to cling onto their bodies but every time that happened Quinn had to push and punch a few men to let them go. People were on the verge of insanity, the cold alone was enough to make everyone desperate.

Quinn wasn't lying when she told Rachel that water that cold was like being pocked by a thousand knifes at once. It was worst.

When they finally broke out of the insanity of the survivors Quinn started to look for something, for anything that will help them stayed on float and get Rachel out of the freezing water.

"Come on, baby. Just a little bit more, just a little more" Quinn looked around as faith quickly slipped out of her. There was nothing but darkness in the horizon, they were completely alone and she wasn't so sure that the boats were going to come back.

"It's so cold," Rachel whimpered behind her.

"I know baby, I know" she looked frantically around, there had to be something floating around. "Help me find something, princess. Something that can help us here" she asked without letting go of the brunette's hand.

The sobbing of people was growing quieter as they looked around.

"Baby, look at me" Quinn asked her. Her lips were turning blue, her green eyes were glowing that night under the full moon and Rachel fell a little more in love with the girl, despise the circumstances.

"You are so beautiful" she said without even thinking of her words and was regarded with a small smirk from the blond.

"Right back at ya, baby. Now help me look, ok?" the brunette was trying to get her mind off of everything that was going on around and Quinn knew that her words were everything she got at that moment.

Rachel focused on Quinn's words and started to look around. Her bottom lip was out of control at that point, she couldn't feel her legs and her arms were getting heavier by the second.

She felt Quinn's grip on her hand tighten before the blond turned around and enveloped her in a tight hug effectively shielding her from two men that were fighting against each other over a little cabinet door.

"Bastard!" one of the men shouted before he sucker punched the other, effectively knocking him out.

"Come on," Quinn pulled the brunette a little farther away, her eyes scanning the area with care.

"What's that?" Rachel whimpered and pointed at their right. Quinn saw with great desperation as Rachel's body shook uncontrollably and her lips turned purple from the cold.

She really hoped that they would return for them, sooner rather than later.

"Come on," she pulled the girl to where she could see something floating ahead.

Rachel pushed herself to follow the blond even though she felt like she couldn't move at all but she didn't want to give up, not now, not yet.

"Come on, baby. Just a little bit, we're almost there" Quinn said as she recognized the wood door that was floating a couple of feet ahead of them.

That would do, she thought for herself and as soon they were close enough she lifted Rachel on top.

It was such a nice feeling to be out of the water but the cold didn't subside at all, the wind actually made it colder and breathing was becoming a challenge itself.

"Quinn?" Rachel called when she noticed that blond wasn't by her side and she opened her eyes to find the girl staring intently at the door where she was lying belly down.

"Get up here," she ordered but the blond offered her a sad half smile and shook her head.

"I don't think it'd support us both, princess" Quinn explained but Rachel heard none of it.

"Get up here or I'll be down there with you," the blond noticed Rachel's voice cracking, it was obviously hard to breathe, she was having the same problem but Rachel's small frame was shaking brusquely and her skin was too pale.

"It's better if you stay there" she tried to reason but when Rachel moved to get off the door she gently stopped her with a firm hand of her shoulder.

For a second there she wished that Rachel wasn't so stubborn.

"Get up here!" the brunette said again and as Quinn pushed herself up the door tilted all the way to the side threatening to throw them to the water but Rachel wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck and soon enough the wood bounced back into placed with both girls on top of it.

Quinn smiled relieved and wrapped her arms around the brunette as they settled into a somewhat comfortable position facing each other.

"God baby, you're freezing" the blond took Rachel's hands and started to blow hot air on them as the brunette got impossibly closer to her body.

"You too," her lip quivered strongly and without thinking about it Quinn pressed her lips against Rachel's and after kissing her she remained closed to her, just blowing hot air against her lips.

"They are going to come back for us" Quinn spoke as she tangled up her legs with Rachel's and rubbed up and down with her ankles.

"Will they, Quinn?" Rachel asked as she tucked her hands under the blonde's neck shirt and cuddled even closer. She could feel her hair starting to freeze and barely felt her legs where Quinn was rubbing.

"Yes, they will. We just have to wait a little longer. They had to get away because… because of the suction but they'll come back, you'll see" she snuggled Rachel closer and rubbed her cheek against the smaller' girl to transmit some heat.

Rachel trusted in Quinn's words so she believed her and stuck her hands a bit lower on Quinn's chest, relishing in the feeling of the girl's skin and how perfect it felt under her fingerprints.

"Thank God I met you, Quinn" she sincerely said and the blond pressed her lips to her forehead as she rubbed her back and arms, wishing against the impossible that she were able to give Rachel all the heat she needed at the moment.

"Bring the boats back!" an officer holding onto a floating piece of wood blowing on his whistle non-stop screamed.

"Come back, help us!" a woman yelled but Quinn just kept trying to keep Rachel as warm as possible.

"They'll come back, they are just getting organized," she swallowed down the sudden lump in her throat as Rachel ran her finger on her chest underneath her thin shirt.

A couple of minutes passed in the freezing darkness in silence. Quinn's arms were starting to become numb as she held the girl close to her and nuzzled her under her chin. The water was calm and that wasn't a good sign at all.

"It's getting quiet," Rachel whispered as she moved her head to look at Quinn but the blond was already staring at her when their eyes met.

"Just a few more minutes, princess. Just a few more minutes and they'll come back, they're just getting organized," their breaths were clouding in front of them as their bodies kept shaking lightly.

Rachel wasn't shaking uncontrollably anymore and Quinn was glad for that, she just wished that the boats would actually return but the brunette was no fool and she could see right through Quinn's insecurities at that very moment.

There weren't going to be any boats, the officers knew that they have left behind hundreds of people and if they came back everyone would sink the boats in desperation to save their lives.

Quinn reassumed the light rubbing on Rachel's extremities and back as she whistled and smirked into the freezing eve.

"I don't know about you but I intend to write a strongly worded letter to the White Star Line about all this trouble," she giggled and Rachel smiled at the blonde's antics.

Even like that, on their worst, she still managed to make her smile sincerely.

As she stared deeply into the hazel eyes that had clouded her judgment and drove her to the very insanity path she knew that there was nowhere else she'd rather be than right there in Quinn's arms.

She was lucky, so lucky to have met the blond, to have fallen in love with the blond and to have the girl loving her as much.

She removed one hand from underneath the shirt and cupped Quinn's cheek as the other squeezed the firm abs under her palm. She wished that they could have had more time, that they had met in different circumstances, that they have had a real chance at love.

"I love you," she confessed and smiled before pulling the girl closer to meet her with her lips in a tender and warm kiss.

Quinn's heart melted at the declaration but her brow quickly furrowed in realization of what Rachel was doing.

"Don't do that. I won't allow it. Do not say goodbye, Rachel. Don't give up, we are going to be alright, don't give up" she begged the girl as she grabbed her hand and blew every word against it in the hopes that her breath will share its warmth with the girl.

"I'm so cold, Quinn" Rachel trembled and squeezed Quinn's hand in hers. She didn't think that she was going to make it, she couldn't feel her legs even though she had the foreign thought that Quinn was still rubbing her ankles against them.

"We're getting out of here, Rachel. We're going to make it and we're going to have a long and nice life with each other. We'll see our children grow and I have to tell you in advance that I want a few because I've always had a thing for big family reunions," she giggled nervously as Rachel smiled sadly, imagining everything that was coming out of the blonde's mouth.

"We'll die in a warm bed as old ladies, surrounded by all our kids and grandkids," she pressed her lips softly against Rachel's and locked eyes with the girl as she spoke her next words, "not here. Not this night. Not like this, do you understand me?"

There was so much behind the pained look in Quinn's eyes but Rachel was crying softly and couldn't utter a single word out.

"Listen to me, baby. Winning that bet was the best thing that ever happened to me," her own voice cracked as she poured her heart out to the girl and at the same time it was becoming so much more difficult to speak or breathe.

"It brought me to you, princess. I met you and I am so, so grateful for that. I love you so much sweetheart and I wouldn't change a thing if I had the chance."

Rachel sobbed and clung on Quinn's shirt for dear life, she could feel clearly the path that her tears took and smiled as she felt Quinn's lips pressed on her cheek and forehead.

"We won't give up, baby. Promise me that we'll never give up" Quinn pleaded in her ear and she nodded her head twice.

"We'll never give up," she promised and Quinn kissed her again.

"I love you so much, so much" Quinn nuzzled her face on the crack of her neck and rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"I love you more" Rachel whispered against the sensitive skin of Quinn's neck as she realized rather late that silence was almost consuming them.

…

Officer Puckerman had finally take over and ordered to organized the boats but not without much trouble.

The rest of the officers were adamant to join him in the search but at least he had a boat clear up for the job already.

"I'll go with you son," Terri said standing up and jumping on the boat where the young officer was standing alone.

He looked conflicted, he appreciated the offer but he needed at least another officer to help him if they found any survivors.

"I'll go" Mr. Hummel raised his hand and stepped into his boat. Hummel was a delicate boy and some on the crew called him porcelain as a joke but as Puckerman stared at him, he saw a brave and good man.

"We'll do," he said and surveyed his eyes over each of the officers that were staying behind.

"It's insanity Puck! They'll sink your boat, you're going towards your end!"

"Can't you hear that, stupid?" said Puckerman turning around and facing the officer, he was seeing red "There is not a sound that can be heard, there hadn't been in the last twenty minutes. We're probably too late already and you want me to stay here and sit with the women!"

The officer looked taken aback but didn't argue any further as Puckerman handed a shovel to the Hummel boy.

They navigate in silence, the splash of the water the only thing being heard as they neared what was left of the Titanic.

Terri held the lantern at the front of the boat. The first thing she saw was the framed picture of a family, then instruments of the band that used to play in the dining hall, toys and pieces of furniture.

Everything was so quiet and still, she turned to look at the officer but he didn't meet her eyes as the lantern illuminated the first lifeless bodies floating on the surface.

Terri covered her mouth with her hand as she looked at the image in front of her. Hundreds of floating bodies around and ahead of them, she knew that they hadn't drowned because they had their life-vest on but they had frozen to death.

Her heart broke at the sight of a mother holding her little girl in her arms and both had their open eyes trained on the sky

Puckerman did his best to move the bodies out of the way but the boat kept impacting the freezing bodies over and over again.

"We waited too long" he lamented as Hummel and Terri cried softly behind him.

…

It was the worst feeling in the world when you knew you were dying and you couldn't do anything to stop it.

Quinn's breathing was elaborate as she tried to hug Rachel closer, she couldn't feel her body anymore and the only thought that comforted her somewhat was that Rachel was probably a little bit warmer than she was.

The brunette had turn around in Quinn's arms and was staring at the stars above them. They were completely still and for a moment she didn't feel anything, didn't hear anything but the soft and trying breathing coming from the girl beside her.

They were dying, they weren't going to last very long and Rachel knew it. Their hair was dusted with frost crystal as were their clothes.

"_There is not enough ink or paper_," she began to sing Quinn's favorite as she stared at the shining stars; her voice was barely audible "_to put in words how much I love you, there isn't a song sadder or darker than a goodbye_."

A flashing light passed right by them and Rachel blinked a couple of times before she turned her head slowly to the right and saw a boat behind Quinn's shoulder.

She tried to move but discovered that her entire body was beyond numb, so she squeezed Quinn's arm that was thrown over her stomach motionless.

With her head slightly raised she saw the silhouette of two men on the boat but they haven't seen her yet and they were quickly passing by them.

She turned around to fully face the blond and raised her hand to touch her face. Quinn's eyebrows were covered in frost, as was her hair and eyelashes.

"Quinn," she called, her voice filled with hope. The blond looked as if she was sleep, her eyes were closed and her face looked peaceful.

Panic rose within her when Quinn didn't answer and she grew desperate at the possibility of losing the girl.

"Quinn, oh God, Quinn!" she couldn't even cry as her throat closed up but she sobbed anyway and shoke Quinn's shoulder.

"Please, Quinn. Don't leave me," she finally buried her face in the crock of the blonde's neck and gripped her arms with all her force.

"Never," she heard the hoarse voice of the blonde and looked up to find Quinn staring at her and a weak smile on her lips.

Just when all hope seemed to be gone, when all her wish to live had practically left her body Quinn came back to her.

"Come on, baby. We have a boat to catch" Quinn said and Rachel actually laughed along with her.

The ice cracked around them as they moved and Quinn was having much trouble breathing but she managed to sit down on the floating door that had safe their lives.

She threw her legs over the edge and into the water and started to petal over to where the officer with the whistle was. She took the whistle from his mouth and turned to face Rachel with a small smile on her lips.

"We made it" she said and when the brunette smiled back she blew on the whistle as hard as her soared lungs allowed it.

…

Quinn didn't remember much after the lantern pointed at their direction, in fact when she woke up the sun was already out and she was lying on a hard surface with blankets wrapped around her entire body up to her chin.

She blinked but didn't manage to focus her stare, every sound seemed foreign to her ears and her body felt heavy, she was so tired.

"Baby?" a soft voice asked by her side and Quinn knew who that voice belonged to but she didn't have the strength to stand up or even sit up so she just turned her head to the left where warm lips met hers in an static kiss.

"Oh my God, baby. I was so scared" Rachel cried as she wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck and pulled her up to her chest and Quinn had never been happier to wake up.

"We're alright" she spoke, cringing when she heard her own voice.

"Yes, we are. We are on the first class deck of the Carpathia" Rachel informed her just as Terri kneelt down beside them.

"There you are kiddo" said the older woman with a light smile on her lips.

Quinn learned that fifteen hundred people had gone down along with the Titanic and that only one boat went to their rescue, one boat out of twenty. She and Rachel had been two of the six survivors that were found barely alive.

Six people out of fifteen hundred.

As the sun moved higher, Quinn's legs returned to normal but they didn't move from where they were sitting, with her arms wrapped tightly around Rachel's form as they waited to get to land.

They had made it, they had survived but their minds were still on the ship, the images kept coming back and Quinn doubted that they'll ever leave them.

Terri was too kind with them, she asked Quinn what her plan was once they got to America and she offered her a job in one of her husband's enterprises without taking no for an answer.

Mr. Hummel came to check on them and brought with him a change of clothes for Quinn to wear but apologized profusely when he couldn't offer a change for Rachel.

They learned that he was the young heir of a fortune and he also offered his help to the young couple.

It was only when Rachel saw her mother that she remembered what happened to Finn in the lower deck. She closed her eyes and held on tighter on Quinn, who shushed her as she slowly walked them back into one of the halls.

"I take it you don't want your mother to see you," Quinn tentatively said and Rachel shook her head from side to side.

"Her daughter died in the Titanic, that's all she needs to know."

Quinn wanted to fight her in that decision but she controlled herself because Rachel looked determined, she had made up her mind and she knew her own mother better than Quinn ever did.

Terri didn't tell anything to Shelby, understanding Rachel's decision as well.

When they got to New York they realized that they had really made up the front page of the papers. Hundreds of people were waiting for them, photographers and reporters were lined up wanting to get an exclusive from the survivors.

Policemen were surrounding the area but that didn't impede the curious crowd to come closer.

Quinn had been at circuses less chaotic than what New York City was that night but she also noticed the hopeful look on many faces, relatives hoping to see their brothers, cousins, sons or daughters decent from the Carpathia.

As soon as they set foot on New York two immigration officers asked for their names.

"Quinn Fabray" the blond answered as she held a bit tighter with her arm around Rachel's waist and looked at her with a small smile gracing her lips.

"And you, miss?" the officer politely asked.

"Fabray," the brunette said, also smiling and locking eyes with Quinn as she spoke, "Rachel Fabray."

The officer thanked them and left as Quinn kissed the girl's forehead, her heart on the edge of jumping out of her chest out of so much pride and joy.

Rachel cupped the blonde's face and pulled her down to kiss her properly on the lips. They had a life ahead of them in New York City, they were free in their own way and the Heart of the Ocean waited to be discovered in the coat that Rachel still had on.

…

_**Like I could ever do something bad to Quinn in one of my fics :).**_

_**I hope you enjoyed and for those who reviewed thank you very much, for those who didn't, thank you for reading :).**_


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